Adverse Childhood Experiences and Associations with Mental Health, Substance Use, and Violence Perpetration among Young Adults in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have debilitating effects on child well-being, with consequences persisting into adulthood. Most ACE studies have been conducted in high-income countries and show a graded relationship between multiple ACE exposures and adverse health outcomes. Less is known about the types and burden of ACEs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Objective: To estimate the pooled prevalence of six individual and cumulative ACE exposures (physical, sexual, and emotional violence; orphanhood; witnessing interparental and community violence) and assess their association with mental health outcomes, substance use, and violence perpetration among young adults in SSA. Participants and setting: Aggregate data from the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) in Cote d'Ivoire 2018, Kenya 2019, Lesotho 2018, Mozambique 2019, and Namibia 2019 included a sample of 11,498 young adults aged 18-24 years. Methods: Cumulative ACEs were defined by an integer count of the total number of individual ACEs (0 to 6). Weighted prevalence and adjusted odds ratios were estimated. Result: ACEs prevalence ranged from 7.8% (emotional violence) to 55.0% (witnessing community violence). Strong graded relationships between cumulative ACE exposure and all study outcomes for both males and females were observed. Among females, witnessing interparental violence was the only individual ACE risk factor significantly associated with increased odds of substance use; among males, emotional violence was significantly associated with all outcomes. Conclusion: ACEs are associated with adverse mental health, substance use, and violence perpetration in SSA. Gender-specific and culturally sensitive intervention strategies are needed to effectively mitigate ACEs in this population.

Triangulation of Routine Antenatal HIV Prevalence Data and Adjusted HIV Estimates in Mozambique.

BACKGROUND: Routine health system data are central to monitoring HIV trends. In Mozambique, the reported number of women receiving antenatal care (ANC) and antiretroviral therapy for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) has exceeded the Spectrum-estimated number of pregnant women since 2017. In some provinces, reported HIV prevalence in pregnant women has declined faster than epidemiologically plausible. We hypothesized that these issues are linked and caused by programmatic overenumeration of HIV-negative pregnant women at ANC. METHODS: We triangulated program-reported ANC client numbers with survey-based fertility estimates and facility birth data adjusted for the proportion of facility births. We used survey-reported ANC attendance to produce adjusted time series of HIV prevalence in pregnant women, adjusted for hypothesized program double counting. We calibrated the Spectrum HIV estimation models to adjusted HIV prevalence data to produce adjusted adult and pediatric HIV estimates. RESULTS: ANC client numbers were not consistent with facility birth data or modeled population estimates indicating ANC data quality issues in all provinces. Adjusted provincial ANC HIV prevalence in 2021 was median 45% [interquartile range 35%-52% or 2.3 percentage points (interquartile range 2.5-3.5)] higher than reported HIV prevalence. In 2021, calibrating to adjusted antenatal HIV prevalence lowered PMTCT coverage to less than 100% in most provinces and increased the modeled number of new child infections by 35%. The adjusted results better reconciled adult and pediatric antiretroviral treatment coverage and antenatal HIV prevalence with regional fertility estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Adjusting HIV prevalence in pregnant women using nationally representative household survey data on ANC attendance produced estimates more consistent with surveillance data. The number of children living with HIV in Mozambique has been substantially underestimated because of biased routine ANC prevalence. Renewed focus on HIV surveillance among pregnant women would improve PMTCT coverage and pediatric HIV estimates.

Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in sub-Saharan Africa: A multicountry analysis of the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS).

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences are traumatic events early in life and have been associated with significant negative health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of ACEs in five low- and middle-income sub-Saharan African countries. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Nationally representative data from the Cote d'Ivoire (2018), Kenya (2019), Lesotho (2018), Mozambique (2019), and Namibia (2019) Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS) were used. Analyses were restricted to youth ages 18-24 years (n = 8766 females and 2732 males). METHODS: VACS data were analyzed to generate sex-stratified weighted prevalence of individual ACEs (including sexual, physical, and emotional violence; witnessing interparental violence and violence in the community; and orphanhood) and aggregate ACEs (total ACEs; 0, 1-2, and 3 or more), for each country and combined. RESULTS: The most common type of ACEs among both females and males was witnessing physical violence (males: 55.0 % [95 % CI: 51.1-58.8] and females: 37.2 % [95 % CI = 34.3-40.1]) followed by experiencing physical violence (males: 49.7 % [95 % CI = 45.5-53.9] and in females: 36.5 % [95 % CI = 33.8-39.2]). Prevalence of sexual violence was significantly higher in females than in males (16.0 % [95 % CI = 13.9-18.2] vs 8.3 % [95 % CI = 7.0-9.8]; p < 0.001). About 72 % of females and 82 % of males have experienced at least one form of ACE with 20 % of females and 24.2 % of males experiencing 3 or more ACEs. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that majority of the children in countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced multiple ACEs in their lifetime. Understanding the extent of the problem will help design early interventions to reduce childhood exposure to ACEs or mitigate against the harmful impact of ACEs.

Service-seeking behaviors among male victims of violence in five African countries: The effects of positive and adverse childhood experiences.

BACKGROUND: Violence against boys and men is widely under-reported. Boys and men face unique and gendered barriers to accessing services following experiences of violence. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study is a secondary data analysis of five nationally representative population-based Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS) conducted in Kenya (2019), Côte d'Ivoire (2018), Lesotho (2018), Mozambique (2019), and Namibia (2019). Analysis was limited to males between 18 and 24 years who experienced lifetime physical or sexual violence. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: We analyzed the association between positive and adverse childhood experiences (PCEs and ACEs), and seeking post-violence services among males using bivariate chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: 8.02 % (5.55-10.50 %) of male victims between the ages of 18 and 24 sought services for any lifetime physical or sexual violence. Witnessing interparental violence and experiencing death of one or both parents were each associated with increased odds of having sought post-violence services (aOR 2.43; 95 % CI: 1.25-4.79; aOR 2.27; 95 % CI: 1.14-4.50), controlling for education, violence frequency, and violence type. High parental monitoring was associated with increased odds of service seeking (aOR 1.79; 95 % CI: 1.02-3.16), while strong father-child relationship was associated with lower odds (aOR 0.45; 95 % CI: 0.23-0.89). CONCLUSION: These findings contribute to limited research on service-seeking behaviors among men and boys. While some parent-youth relationship factors were associated with higher odds of service-seeking, the outcome remained rare. Age and gender-related barriers should be addressed where post-violence care services are offered.

Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and their associations with mental distress, substance use and sexual risk behaviors in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor sexual and mental health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Less well understood is how discrete and gendered clustering of ACEs may influence health. OBJECTIVE: To assess how multiple ACEs co-occur and how dominant patterns of co-occurrence are associated with mental distress, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors among young women and men in Sub-Saharan Africa. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: We used pooled data of young men and women aged 19-24 from comparable, nationally representative Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS) conducted in Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Namibia (nf = 7183; nm = 2207). METHODS: We estimated sex-disaggregated latent classes of six ACEs among young women and men. We ran Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) distal outcome analysis to test the sex-stratified relationships between ACEs latent classes and health outcomes. RESULTS: A six class solution best fit the female data. Classes included witnessing violence and experiencing physical violence (PV); experiencing PV; high ACEs; witnessing community violence; orphanhood; and low ACEs exposure. Among males, the best-fitting three-class solution included experiencing PV and witnessing community violence; high ACEs; and low ACEs exposure. Membership in the high ACEs class was associated with mental distress among females and males, and substance use among males. No differences in sexual risk behavior were identified by class membership among either females or males. CONCLUSIONS: Discrete clusters of co-occurring ACEs are associated with elevated odds of mental distress among females, and mental distress and substance use among males. Preventing ACEs may improve mental health among young women and men in LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Parenting-related positive childhood experiences, adverse childhood experiences, and mental health-Four sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor mental health outcomes and risk-taking behaviors. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may mitigate these negative impacts. OBJECTIVE: This study 1) assessed the associations between ACEs and negative health outcomes and risk-taking behaviors among young adults, and 2) evaluated whether - and which - PCEs moderate the association between ACEs and these outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: This multi-country analysis combined cross-sectional representative survey data from young adults, ages 18-24 years, from the 2019 Kenya, 2018 Lesotho, 2019 Mozambique, and 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys. The association between experiencing any ACEs and each health outcome was assessed using Wald's chi-square tests. Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed the association between each PCE and each outcome of interest. RESULTS: Females who experienced any ACEs had higher odds of experiencing moderate to severe mental distress (aOR = 2.7, 95%CI: 1.9, 3.9). Males who experienced any ACEs had higher odds of experiencing suicidal/self-harm behaviors (aOR = 6.7, 95%CI: 2.8, 16.0) and substance use (aOR = 2.5, 95%CI: 1.4, 4.2). In females, strong mother-child relationship was protective against moderate to severe mental distress (aOR = 0.7, 95%CI: 0.6, 0.9), suicidal/self-harm behaviors (aOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.4, 0.9), and substance use (aOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.4, 0.9). For males, a strong mother-child relationship was protective against suicidal/self-harm behaviors (aOR = 0.5, 95%CI: 0.2, 0.9), and a strong father-child relationship was protective against suicidal/self-harm behaviors (aOR = 0.4, 95%CI: 0.2, 0.7) and substance use (aOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.4, 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Strong parenting programs may likely play an important role in improving the psychosocial health of young adults.

Adverse childhood experiences, HIV and sexual risk behaviors - Five sub-Saharan countries, 2018-2020.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to have negative, lasting effects on health including increasing the likelihood of engaging in sexual risk behaviors. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify associations between exposures to ACEs and sexual risk behaviors and HIV service utilization among young people. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 8023 sexually active young people (19-24 year olds) from five sub-Saharan African countries participated Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS). METHODS: Descriptive analysis of demographic variables, individual ACEs, cumulative ACEs, sexual risk behaviors, HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment (ART) and Antenatal Care (ANC) attendance were completed. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations between both individual and cumulative ACEs, sexual HIV risk behaviors, and service utilization while controlling for important covariates such as demographic, having ever been pregnant, had an STI, and used contraception. RESULTS: Exposure to three or more ACEs was higher among males (26.1 %) compared to females (21.3 %); p = 0.003. The most prominent sexual risk behavior for females was having sexual partners who were at least 5 years older (45.7 % compared to males 3.7 %; p < 0.0001) whereas in males it was no or infrequent condom use (45.3 % compared to females 30.1 %; p < 0.0001). Males and females exposed to childhood sexual violence had seven and four times the odds of engaging in transactional sex (aOR = 7.34, 95 % CI: [3.5-15.0]) and (aOR =3.75, 95 % CI: [2.3-6.2], respectively. Females exposed to three or more ACEs were four times more likely to engage in transactional sex (aOR = 4.85, 95 %, CI: [1.6-14.4]) compared to those who did not experience any ACEs. Males exposed to three or more ACEs were two times more likely to engage in early sexual debut (aOR = 2.2, 95 % CI: [1.3-3.4]),]) compared to those who did not experience any ACEs. Females who had witnessed IPV or violence in the community had significantly higher odds of getting tested for HIV (aOR = 2.16, 95 % CI: [1.63-2.87]) and (aOR = 1.36, 95 % CI: [1.03-1.81]), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that experiencing ACEs during childhood is associated with higher HIV risk behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with unique differences between males and females.

Assessment of a tool for measuring non-profit advocacy efforts in India, Uganda and Yemen.

To improve maternal and child health, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) implemented an innovative policy advocacy project in India, Uganda and Yemen from 2009 to 2011. PATH assisted WRA in designing an approach to measure the short- and long-term results of WRA's advocacy efforts.Expert rating instruments have been widely used since 1970s to track country-level program efforts focusing on family planning, maternal and neonatal health, and HIV/AIDS. This article assesses and establishes the strength and applicability of an expert rating tool, the Maternal Health Policy Score (MHPS), in measuring and guiding a non-profit's advocacy efforts.The tool was assessed using five criteria: validity of results, reproducibility of results, acceptability to respondents, internal consistency and cost. The tool proved effective for measuring improvements in the policy environment at both the national and subnational levels that the non-profit intended to effect and useful for identifying strong and weak policy domains. The results are reproducible, though ensuring fidelity in implementation during different rounds of data collection may be difficult. The acceptability of the tool was high among respondents, and also among users of the information.MHPS provides a quick, low-cost method to measure overall changes in the policy environment, giving advocacy organizations and grant makers timely information to gauge the influence of their work and take corrective action. WRA demonstrated the use of MHPS at multiple points in the project: at the onset of a project to identify and strategize around policy domains that need attention, during and at the end of the project to monitor progress made and redirect efforts.