Table 2.

Findings on socio-structural risk factors

Author Year Country	Socio-demographics	Factors promoting entry into bar work	Bar environment
Nagot 2002 Burkina Faso [9]	Ages 16–34; 36% foreign; 54% illiterate	–	–
Van Blerk 2007 Ethiopia [24]	Ages 14–19	Poverty	Many FBWs in debt to bar owner
Van Blerk 2008 Ethiopia [23]	Almost all migrated from other regions	Family financial need; escape from FGM & early marriage; disowned by family	Some clients give money without sex
Van Blerk 2011 Ethiopia [25]	Most migrated from rural areas If in hometown, work in bars far from home	–	Current economic situation depends on type of bars they work in
Sori 2012 Ethiopia [3]	Often migrated from rural areas; 32% currently married	Early marriage leading to divorce leading to poverty
Messersmith 2014 Ghana [6]	Mean age 25; 47% completed high school; 75% unmarried; 19% married/cohabiting 6% divorced	Poverty	Verbal and emotional abuse at bars common
Kishindo 1995a Malawi [26]	Mean age 19; 5–8 years of education; 10% previously married, none now; 12% have children; 97% migrated from rural areas	Economic need for self or family; minority are looking for husband	FBWs are highly mobile and change between bars
Kishindo 1995b Malawi [8]	Mean age 22; all have some formal education & are literate; almost all migrated from rural areas	To earn money (87%), incl. For school fees, to support family; to meet man with good job; unintended pregnancy	–
Mhalu 1991 Tanzania [27]	–	–	–
Mnyika 1995 Tanzania [28]	–	–	–
Talle 1995 Tanzania [7]	Mean age 20; most finished primary school; all single or divorced; many had teen pregnancy	Economic need; independent lifestyle; escape from gender roles Typically poor but not the poorest prior to bar work	–
Talle 1998 Tanzania [10]	Education rate higher than average; most have multi-ethnic background	Economic need; following friend/relative; freedom to make decisions; escape from rural life	1 year post-interview, 90% had changed work place
Mgalla 1997 Tanzania [29]	Mean age 25; 80% have 5 years of education; Half migrated to district; 50% single, 50% divorced; most have children	Economic need; boredom; family troubles; left school due to pregnancy, illness, poverty or forced marriage	Bar business models vary: some pay FBWs wages, others do not
Riedner 2003 Tanzania [30]	Mean age 25; 54% attended secondary school; 21% living with partner, 44% widowed /divorced	–	–
Akarro 2009 Tanzania [1]	Modal age 20–24; 73% attended primary school; 81% single, 17% separated; 70% have children	–	–
Beckham 2013 Tanzania [31]	60% aged 20–29, 40% aged 30–39; 77% primary schooling; 57% single, 33% divorced /separated, 10% widowed; 90% have children	–	–
Ostermannn 2015 Tanzania [32]	–	–	–
Gysels 2002 Uganda [2]	Mean age 30; Marriages: mean of 2, if over 35 mean of 3.5; median of 2 children	Poverty; family troubles; early, often forced, sex leading to pregnancy; easier than farm work	–
Ntozi 2003 Uganda [33]	Age range 15–30	–	–

BW Bar work; CAGE Cut Down, Annoyed, Guilty and Eye Opener (alcohol use screening test); FBW Female bar worker; FGM Female genital mutilation; SW Sex work. Cells marked “-” were not addressed by the study in question