Rozina Somani1, Julienne Corboz2, Rozina Karmaliani3, Esnat D Chirwa2,4, Judith McFarlane5, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja6, Nargis Asad7, Yasmeen Somani6, Ingrid Van Der Heijden2, Rachel Jewkes2. 1. Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada. 2. Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council , Cape Town, South Africa. 3. School of Nursing & Midwifery and Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University , Karachi, Pakistan. 4. School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa. 5. College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University , USA. 6. School of Nursing & Midwifery, Aga Khan University , Karachi, Pakistan. 7. Department of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University , Karachi, Pakistan.
Abstract
Background: Children with disabilities are more likely to experience violence or injury at school and at home, but there is little evidence from Central Asia. Objective: To describe the prevalence of disability and associations with peer violence perpetration and victimization, depression, corporal punishment, school performance and school attendance, among middle school children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Method: This is a secondary analysis of data gathered in the course of evaluations of interventions to prevent peer violence conducted in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the 'What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Global Programme'. In Pakistan, the research was conducted in 40 schools, and disability was assessed at midline in 1516 interviews with Grade 7s. In Afghanistan, the data were from the baseline study conducted in 11 schools with 770 children. Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling was used to assess associations with disability. Results: In Afghanistan, the prevalence of disability was much higher for girls (22.1%) than boys (12.9%), while in Pakistan 6.0% of boys and girls reported a disability. Peer violence victimization was strongly associated with disability in Afghanistan and marginally associated in Pakistan. In Pakistan, perpetration of peer violence was associated with disability. In both countries, disability was significantly associated with higher depression scores. Food insecurity was strongly associated with disability in Afghanistan. Conclusion: Disability is highly prevalent in Afghanistan and Pakistan schools and this is associated with a greater risk of experiencing and perpetrating peer violence. It is important to ensure that all children can benefit from school-based prevention interventions.
Background: Children with disabilities are more likely to experience violence or injury at school and at home, but there is little evidence from Central Asia. Objective: To describe the prevalence of disability and associations with peer violence perpetration and victimization, depression, corporal punishment, school performance and school attendance, among middle school children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Method: This is a secondary analysis of data gathered in the course of evaluations of interventions to prevent peer violence conducted in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the 'What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Global Programme'. In Pakistan, the research was conducted in 40 schools, and disability was assessed at midline in 1516 interviews with Grade 7s. In Afghanistan, the data were from the baseline study conducted in 11 schools with 770 children. Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling was used to assess associations with disability. Results: In Afghanistan, the prevalence of disability was much higher for girls (22.1%) than boys (12.9%), while in Pakistan 6.0% of boys and girls reported a disability. Peer violence victimization was strongly associated with disability in Afghanistan and marginally associated in Pakistan. In Pakistan, perpetration of peer violence was associated with disability. In both countries, disability was significantly associated with higher depression scores. Food insecurity was strongly associated with disability in Afghanistan. Conclusion: Disability is highly prevalent in Afghanistan and Pakistan schools and this is associated with a greater risk of experiencing and perpetrating peer violence. It is important to ensure that all children can benefit from school-based prevention interventions.
Entities:
Keywords:
Disability; peer violence perpetration; peer violence victimization; violence against children
Authors: Karen M Devries; Nambusi Kyegombe; Maria Zuurmond; Jenny Parkes; Jennifer C Child; Eddy J Walakira; Dipak Naker Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2014-09-29 Impact factor: 3.295