Gender-based violence and associated factors among adolescents and young girls and boys in the Haut-Sassandra region, Côte d’Ivoire

OBJECTIVES: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa, where young people are disproportionately affected. This study aims to assess the prevalence and determinants of GBV among adolescents and young people in Côte d'Ivoire. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in 2023 among people aged 10-24 years. Participants were randomly selected in the multicultural Haut-Sassandra region. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. GBV was defined as the presence of sexual, physical and/or psychological violence. A multivariate Poisson regression analysis examined associations with sociodemographic, behavioral, structural, and other factors. RESULTS: In total, 1515 participants accounted for the analyses. Mean age (± standard deviation) was 17.7 (±3.7) years. Eighteen percent (18 %) reported at least one type of GBV (13.7 %, 7.7 %, 4 % and 0.3 % for psychological, physical, sexual, and other types of violence, respectively). Only 19.1 % were aware of the existence in their community of a support mechanism. Among victims, only 23.4 % sought or received support. Positive associations with GBV were found for alcohol/drug consumption (p = 0.018), rural areas (p = 0.001), history of sexually transmitted infections (p = 0.046), anal sex (p = 0.002), and larger age difference between sexual partners (p = 0.045). Each additional year of age appeared to be protective (p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: In the Haut-Sassandra region, Côte d'Ivoire, adolescent and youth are vulnerable to GBV, a multidimensional issue that should be addressed by awareness-raised campaigns and by implementing comprehensive victim-protection and support mechanisms.