Table 2.
Parental absence for six months or more in childhood by demographic characteristics, mental health problems, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among male and female youth aged 18–24, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS).
| Females | Males | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n1 | % (95% CI) | p-value | n1 | % (95% CI) | p-value | |
| Demographic Characteristics | ||||||
| Age | ||||||
| 18–21 | 4788 | 30.1 (26.833.3) | 0.6844 | 1564 | 25.7 (21.6–29.8) | 0.3604 |
| 22–24 | 2911 | 31.1 (27.135.1) | 918 | 24.0 (19.7–28.3) | ||
| Education | ||||||
| Primary school or less | 2044 | 39.1 (35.343.0) | <0.001 | 782 | 33.2 (28.1–38.3) | <0.001 |
| Secondary school or higher | 5642 | 23.8 (20.127.4) | 1700 | 21.0 (17.3–24.6) | ||
| Experienced food Insecurity | ||||||
| Yes | 4309 | 39.7 (35.643.7) | <0.001 | 1342 | 33.2 (27.8–38.6) | <0.001 |
| No | 3275 | 25.2 (21.828.5) | 1117 | 19.5 (15.7–23.3) | ||
| Mental Health Problems/substance use | ||||||
| Moderate/Serious Psychological Distress | ||||||
| Yes | 434 | 43.5 (35.051.9) | <0.001 | 98 | 41.9 (26.1–57.7) | 0.0140 |
| No | 7251 | 29.3 (26.632.0) | 2380 | 24.2 (21.0–27.4) | ||
| Suicidal/Self-harm behaviors | ||||||
| Yes | 1074 | 36.6 (30.243.0) | 0.0241 | 251 | 30.2 (20.2–40.2) | 0.2459 |
| No | 6622 | 29.1 (26.431.8) | 2230 | 24.2 (20.9–27.6) | ||
| Substance use | ||||||
| Yes | 806 | 25.4 (17.633.2) | 0.2418 | 666 | 32.0 (25.0–39.1) | 0.0145 |
| No | 6873 | 30.9 (28.133.7) | 1806 | 23.1 (19.7–26.5) | ||
| Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | ||||||
| Physical violence | ||||||
| Yes | 2326 | 32.8 (28.936.6) | 0.1892 | 1185 | 27.8 (23.1–32.6) | 0.0301 |
| No | 5353 | 29.2 (25.732.7) | 1283 | 22.3 (18.9–25.7) | ||
| Sexual violence | ||||||
| Yes | 956 | 43.1 (36.050.2) | <0.001 | 184 | 43.6 (27.6–59.5) | 0.0042 |
| No | 6738 | 28.0 (25.430.6) | 2297 | 23.4 (20.4–26.5) | ||
| Emotional violence | ||||||
| Yes | 723 | 47.1 (38.955.2) | <0.001 | 207 | 45.0 (30.2–59.7) | <0.001 |
| No | 6861 | 28.7 (26.031.4) | 2226 | 23.5 (20.6–26.3) | ||
| Witnessed interparental violence | ||||||
| Yes | 1853 | 31.8 (27.036.6) | 0.1929 | 498 | 31.5 (23.4–39.7) | 0.0487 |
| No | 5741 | 28.3 (25.431.2) | 1942 | 23.2 (20–26.5) | ||
| Witnessed community violence | ||||||
| Yes | 2531 | 33.1 (28.937.4) | 0.0294 | 1231 | 25.4 (21.4–29.4) | 0.7556 |
| No | 5105 | 27.5 (24.430.6) | 1221 | 24.3 (18.6–30) | ||
| Orphan | ||||||
| Yes | 2069 | 28.2 (23.233.2) | 0.4428 | 618 | 24.9 (18.4–31.3) | 0.9796 |
| No | 5154 | 30.6 (27.533.7) | 1770 | 24.8 (21.6–28) | ||
| ACE exposure 1 | ||||||
| None | 1980 | 25.3 (20.330.3) | 0.1118 | 428 | 22.3 (14.8–29.8) | 0.4913 |
| 1–2 | 3781 | 27.2 (23.630.7) | 0.2000 | 1380 | 22.3 (18.4–26.2) | 0.0464 |
| 3 or more | 1244 | 38.5 (32.844.3) | <0.001 | 489 | 33.6 (26.6–40.5) | <0.001 |
n1=unweighted sample. CI = Confidence interval. Bold typeface denotes statistically significant differences at the p < 0.05 level. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design of the VACS.
Note: ACEs include childhood physical violence, childhood sexual violence, childhood emotional violence, witnessed interparental violence in childhood, witnessed violence in the community in childhood, and being an orphan.
ACE exposure p-value represents the comparison of the prevalence of any parental absence at each level of ACEs with the prevalence of any parental absence among those who did not experience ACEs at that level (estimates not shown on table).