Comparison of HIV-related vulnerabilities between former child soldiers and children never abducted by the LRA in northern Uganda

Patel, Sheetal; Schechter, Martin T; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Atim, Stella; Oboya, Charles; Kiwanuka, Noah; Spittal, Patricia M

doi:10.1186/1752-1505-7-17

Conflict and Health

Table 4 Comparison of socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of formerly abducted and non-abducted participants stratified by gender

From: Comparison of HIV-related vulnerabilities between former child soldiers and children never abducted by the LRA in northern Uganda

	Male			Female			Total
	Formerly abducted (N=65)	Not abducted (N=127)		Formerly abducted (N=42)	Not abducted (N=150)		Formerly abducted (N=107)	Not abducted (N=277)
Variable	N (%)	N (%)	p value	N (%)	N (%)	p value	N (%)	N (%)	p value
*Demographics* & *Background Information*
Age, yr, median (range)	22 (15–29)	19 (15–29)	0.015	23 (15–29)	19 (15–29)	0.004	23 (15–29)	19 (15–29)	<0.001
Awach sub-county	35 (53.8)	49 (38.6)	0.044	19 (45.2)	65 (43.3)	0.826	54 (50.5)	114 (41.2)	0.099
Ever married	40 (61.5)	52 (40.9)	0.007	36 (85.7)	104 (69.3)	0.035	76 (71.0)	156 (56.3)	0.008
Age at 1^st marriage, yr, median (range)	18 (12–24)	18 (12–25)	0.099	15 (9–22)	16 (13–22)	0.002	16 (9–24)	17 (12–25)	0.118
In school	13 (20.0)	43 (33.9)	0.046	3 (7.1)	37 (24.7)	0.013	16 (15.0)	80 (28.9)	0.005
>10 yrs IDP camp living	39 (60.0)	68 (53.5)	0.394	31 (73.8)	121 (80.7)	0.333	70 (65.4)	189 (68.2)	0.598
Living with entire family	11 (16.9)	24 (18.9)	0.514	14 (33.3)	47 (31.3)	0.598	25 (23.4)	71 (25.6)	0.800
Night commuter^*1	43 (66.2)	105 (82.7)	0.010	33 (78.6)	97 (64.7)	0.088	76 (71.0)	202 (72.9)	0.709
Monthly income < 25,000 UGS^*2	34 (52.3)	66 (52.0)	0.685	33 (78.6)	99 (66.0)	0.117	67 (62.6)	165 (59.6)	0.380
*Sexual Activity/Practices* & *Relationships*
Sexually active	55 (84.6)	90 (70.9)	0.036	40 (95.2)	116 (77.3)	0.009	95 (88.8)	206 (74.4)	0.002
Age at 1st sex, yr, median (range)	17 (9–24)	17 (8–25)	0.995	15 (6–18)	16 (8–22)	0.009	16 (6–24)	16 (8–25)	0.224
Non-consensual 1^st sex^a	9 (16.4)	2 (2.2)	0.001	20 (50.0)	21 (18.1)	<0.001	29 (30.5)	23 (11.2)	<0.001
1st sex partner ≥10 yrs older^a	4 (7.3)	2 (2.2)	0.008	21 (52.5)	24 (20.7)	<0.001	25 (26.3)	26 (12.6)	<0.001
Occupation of 1^st sex partner military/rebel^a	7 (12.7)	0 (0)	-----	17 (42.5)	3 (2.6)	<0.001	24 (25.3)	3 (1.5)	<0.001
Had sex past 12 months	47 (85.5)	72 (80.0)	0.406	24 (60.0)	91 (78.4)	0.022	71 (74.7)	163 (79.1)	0.480
Had sex past 6 months	44 (80.0)	71 (78.9)	0.873	20 (50.0)	72 (62.1)	0.250	64 (67.3)	143 (69.4)	0.819
Number of sex partners past 6 months, median (range)^b	2 (1–9)	1 (1–5)	0.055	1 (1–2)	1 (1–2)	0.621	2 (1–9)	1 (1–5)	0.021
Ever practice dry sex^*3,a	35 (63.6)	40 (44.4)	0.038	23 (57.5)	54 (46.6)	0.312	58 (61.1)	94 (45.6)	0.018
Currently have sex partner besides your spouse^c	6 (19.4)	8 (47.1)	0.063	2 (10.0)	1 (1.2)	0.037	8 (15.7)	9 (9.1)	0.227
*Gender-based Violence*
Ever experience physical/sexual/verbal abuse from sexual partner^a	28 (50.9)	26 (28.9)	0.001	32 (80.0)	64 (55.2)	<0.001	60 (63.2)	90 (43.7)	<0.001
Experience physical/sexual/verbal abuse past 12 months^d	16 (34.0)	14 (19.4)	0.014	11 (45.8)	26 (28.6)	0.050	27 (38.0)	40 (24.5)	0.012
Ever been raped^a	11 (20.0)	3 (3.3)	0.001	21 (52.5)	24 (20.7)	<0.001	32 (33.7)	27 (13.1)	<0.001
Age at rape, yr, median (range)	17 (12–24)	16 (11–19)	0.607	14 (6–19)	14 (8–23)	0.595	14 (6–24)	14 (8–23)	0.992
Perpetrator ≥ 10 yrs older	4 (36.4)	3 (100.0)	0.230	15 (71.4)	13 (54.2)	0.378	19 (59.4)	16 (59.3)	1.000
Ever beat sexual partner^a	13 (23.6)	22 (24.4)	1.000	-----	-----	-----	13 (13.7)	22 (10.7)	0.566
*Survival/Livelihood Activities &* *Food Security*
Main means of livelihood –Limited cultivation	51 (78.5)	99 (78.0)	0.875	30 (71.4)	91 (60.7)	0.150	81 (75.7)	190 (68.6)	0.242
Main means of livelihood –Brew alcohol	-----	-----	-----	1 (2.4)	11 (7.3)	0.432	1 (.9)	11 (4.0)	0.216
Ever survival sex work^*4,a	-----	-----	-----	2 (5.0)	9 (7.8)	0.860	2 (2.1)	9 (4.4)	0.539
Current lack of food and/or water	17 (26.2)	26 (20.5)	0.372	26 (61.9)	84 (56.0)	0.494	43 (40.2)	110 (39.7)	0.932
Gone hungry past 12 months	28 (43.1)	61 (48.0)	0.515	27 (64.3)	91 (59.0)	0.670	55 (51.4)	152 (54.9)	0.541
*HIV/AIDS Prevention* & *Condom Use*
Ever used a condom	49 (75.4)	79 (62.2)	0.067	19 (45.2)	61 (40.7)	0.595	68 (63.6)	140 (50.5)	0.022
Condom use past 6 months^b	20 (45.5)	31 (43.7)	1.000	6 (30.0)	21 (29.2)	1.000	26 (40.6)	56 (39.2)	0.878
Condom use last sex^a	23 (41.8)	32 (35.6)	0.451	8 (20.0)	23 (19.8)	0.981	31 (32.6)	55 (26.7)	0.290
Consistent condom use	17 (34.7)	24 (30.4)	0.769	1 (5.3)	14 (23.0)	0.085	18 (26.5)	38 (27.1)	0.903
Ever HIV test	55 (84.6)	88 (69.3)	0.021	39 (92.9)	132 (88.0)	0.576	94 (87.9)	220 (79.4)	0.071
No. of HIV tests, median (range)	11 (0–27)	10 (0–30)	0.367	15 (0–23)	15 (0–25)	0.529	13 (0–27)	15 (0–30)	0.577
Know any sexual partner’s HIV status^a	43 (78.2)	84 (93.3)	0.017	29 (72.5)	86 (74.1)	0.991	62 (65.3)	180 (87.4)	<0.001
*Health Status* & *Service Utilization*
Never sought healthcare outside of home	19 (29.2)	46 (36.2)	0.138	9 (21.4)	52 (34.7)	0.148	28 (26.2)	98 (35.4)	0.085
Had a health problem past 12 months	31 (47.7)	49 (38.6)	0.226	33 (78.6)	110 (73.3)	0.491	64 (59.8)	159 (57.4)	0.668
Experienced ill health without medical care past 3 months	13 (20.0)	13 (10.2)	0.104	8 (19.0)	9 (6.0)	0.014	21 (19.6)	22 (7.9)	0.001
Very likely to have been exposed to HIV	9 (13.8)	5 (3.9)	0.091	7 (16.7)	28 (18.7)	0.631	16 (15.0)	33 (11.9)	0.631
Ever consumed alcohol	18 (27.7)	33 (26.0)	0.800	2 (4.8)	5 (3.3)	0.649	20 (18.7)	38 (13.7)	0.222
Ever had STI besides HIV^a	9 (16.4)	9 (10.0)	0.384	6 (15.0)	11 (9.5)	0.489	15 (15.8)	20 (9.7)	0.185
Had any STI symptoms past 12 months^d	3 (6.4)	6 (8.3)	1.000	21 (87.5)	33 (36.3)	<0.001	24 (33.8)	39 (23.9)	0.149
Ever pregnant^a	-----	-----	-----	36 (90.0)	99 (85.3)	0.654	-----	-----	-----
Age at 1st pregnancy, yr, median (range)	-----	-----	-----	16 (10–20)	17 (13–22)	0.105	-----	-----	-----
Ever circumcised	4 (6.2)	7 (5.5)	1.000	-----	-----	-----	-----	-----	-----
Age of circumcision, yr, median (range)	13 (0–18)	12 (0–24)	0.847	-----	-----	-----	-----	-----	-----

^*1Leaving your family hut at night to sleep elsewhere due to security and privacy concerns.
^*2Approximately $10USD.
^*3Sexual intercourse without foreplay or lubrication so that the vagina is dry upon penetration.
^*4Exchanging sex for food, shelter, money, gifts.
^aAmong those reporting ever having had sex, Abducted males (n=55) Non-abducted males (n=90); Abducted females (n=40) Non-abducted females (n=116).
^bAmong those reporting sexual activity in previous 6 months, Abducted males (n=44) Non-abducted males (n=71); Abducted females (n=20) Non-abducted females (n=72).
^cAmong those currently married, Abducted males (n=31) Non-abducted males (n=17); Abducted females (n=20) Non-abducted females (n=82).
^dAmong those reporting sexual activity in previous 12 months, Abducted males (n=47) Non-abducted males (n=72); Abducted females (n=24) Non-abducted females (n=91).

Back to article page

ISSN: 1752-1505

Contact us

Submission enquiries: journalsubmissions@springernature.com