National Estimates and Predictors of Severe Physical Intimate Partner Violence Among Children and Young Adults Living in Nigeria and Uganda

Background and Purpose: Research indicates that intimate partner violence (IPV) is most prevalent in adolescence and young adulthood and then declines with age. However, this research is primarily based in the US. We provide the first comparable national estimates of the prevalence, characteristics, and correlates associated with severe physical IPV among children and young adults (CYAs) living in two sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries at high risk of IPV.

Methods: We used multistage cluster data from the Violence Against Children Surveys administered in Uganda (n= 3,404) and Nigeria (n= 2,339). IPV data existed for ever-partnered females and males aged 13-24. We assessed lifetime experiences of severe IPV using three questions. Participants were classified as experiencing IPV if they reported yes to at least one of these questions. Among those reporting IPV, data were collected regarding first IPV episode. We conducted chi-square and logistic regression analyses to study differences between countries. Survey weights were applied, yielding nationally representative estimates.

Results: The prevalence of severe IPV was 10.9% in Nigeria and 17.2% in Uganda (95% CI 1.3-2.2). Nigerians and Ugandans who experienced IPV reported similar rates of being punched, kicked, whipped, or beat with an object (91.8%; 90.2%, respectively) and strangled, suffocated, almost drowned, or burned intentionally (17.7%;17.3%, respectively). However, Ugandans were more likely to be victimized with use or threat of a knife, gun, or other weapon (25.3% vs.12.6%, 95% CI 1.4-3.9).

Nigerians (48.2%) were significantly more likely than Ugandans (30.6%) to report their first IPV episode occurred before age18 (95% CI 0.3-0.7). They were also more likely to report that first IPV episode was with a boyfriend/girlfriend than with a spouse (59.38%; 34.17%, 95% CI 1.8- 4.4, respectively) and perpetrated by someone younger (16.80%; 9.97%, 95% CI 0.3-0.9).

Significant correlates of IPV among Nigerians were higher acceptance of gender-based violence (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.31); witnessing parental physical IPV (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.43-3.32); higher levels of depressive symptoms (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.11); and higher number of days getting drunk during the past 30 days (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.20).

Similarly, among Ugandans, witnessing parental physical IPV (aOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.1-2.2) and depressive symptoms (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.1-1.1) were significantly associated with IPV. Additionally, being female (aOR 3.12, 95% CI 2.2-4.5); older age (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.1-1.3); lower education level (p< .05); and no household electricity (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.0-2.4) were significant correlates.

Conclusions and Implications: CYAs in Uganda and Nigeria report high rates of severe IPV. However, they differed in prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of IPV. IPV interventions should be tailored to each country’s needs. Further, existing IPV interventions mainly focus on women. There is a high-need for IPV interventions targeting children, especially school-aged children in Nigeria. Policies enforcing consequences for children witnessing IPV may help prevent IPV among children in SSA, where such policies rarely exist. Depression and alcohol use may be a predictor and consequence of IPV. Future research should assess the directionality of the relationship between IPV and these variables among CYAs.