Browsing by Author "Ssenyonga, Ronald"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Association between childhood sexual violence and low educational attainment among young people aged 18-24: Evidence from the 2018 Uganda violence against children survey
    (Child Protection and Practice, 2025-02-18) Ndibalekera, Maria; Bangirana, Clare Ahabwe; Amollo, Mathew; Olido, Kenneth; Kafuko, Agatha; Opobo, Timothy; Ssenyonga, Ronald
    Background: Researchers have identified various factors that contribute to low levels of educational attainment. However, studies examining the association between childhood sexual violence victimization and educational attainment remain scarce. Understanding this relationship is vital since experiencing violence during childhood is associated with poor educational outcomes and a higher likelihood of financial difficulties and employment issues later in life. Objective: This study sought to understand the association between childhood sexual violence victimization and low educational attainment for male and female young adults. Participants and setting: The study uses data from the Uganda Violence Against Children Survey (2018), focusing on participants aged 18-24. Methods: Secondary analysis was done using STATA 14 among participants aged 18-24 years from whom responses on childhood sexual violence (CSV) victimization were solicited. CSV was measured in its different forms i.e., unwanted sexual touches, attempted forced sex, physically forced sex, pressured sex and sexual exploitation, while low educational attainment was defined as being out of school and having primary or less as the highest level of education. Bivariable analysis and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted. Results: The majority (67.2%) of the sample of 2312 young adults had low educational attainment. Basing on the different forms of childhood sexual violence victimization (sexual exploitation, unwanted sexual touches, attempted forced sex, physically forced sex and pressured sex), low education attainment ranged between 59.2% and 72.3% for males and 50.9% and 72.4% for females. The different forms of CSV were not significantly associated with low educational attainment except attempted forced sex among females (P=0.011) in the bivariate analysis and child marriage in the multivariate model (P=0.022). Conclusion: Low levels of educational attainment in Uganda are prevalent and could be influenced by various factors that warrant further investigation. There is a need for additional research to clarify the association between childhood sexual violence victimization and low educational attainment. Considering the well -established advantages of education for individuals and communities, it is essential to strengthen initiatives aimed at increasing both access to and the quality of educational services.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    One‑year follow‑up effects of the informed health choices secondary school intervention on students’ ability to think critically about health in Uganda: a cluster randomized trial
    (Springer Nature, 2025-02-26) Ssenyonga, Ronald; Oxman, Andrew D.; Nakyejwe, Esther; Chesire, Faith; Mugisha, Michael; Nsangi, Allen; Oxman, Matt; Rose, Christopher James; Rosenbaum, Sarah E.; Moberg, Jenny; Kaseje, Margaret; Nyirazinyoye, Laetitia; Dahlgren, Astrid; Lewin, Simon; Sewankambo, Nelson K.
    Introduction: We assessed the effects of the Informed Health Choices (IHC) secondary school intervention on students’ ability to think critically about choices 1 year after the intervention. Methods: We randomized eighty secondary schools to the intervention or control (usual curriculum). The schools were randomly selected from the central region of Uganda and included rural and urban, government, and privately-owned schools. One randomly selected class of year-2 students (ages 14–17) from each school participated in the trial. The intervention included a 2-day teacher training workshop, 10 lessons accessed online by teachers and delivered in classrooms during one school term (May–August 2022). The lessons addressed nine prioritized IHC concepts. We used two multiple-choice questions for each concept to evaluate the students’ ability to think critically about choices at both the end of the school term and again after 1 year. The primary outcome was the proportion of students with a passing score (≥ 9 of 18 questions answered correctly) on the “Critical Thinking about Health” (CTH) test. Results: After 1-year, 71% (1749/2477) of the students in the intervention schools and 71% (1684/2376) of the students in the control schools completed the CTH test. In the intervention schools, 53% (934/1749) of students who completed the test had a passing score compared to 33% (557/1684) of students in the control schools (adjusted difference 22%, 95% CI 16–28). Conclusions: The effect of the IHC secondary school intervention on students’ ability to assess health-related claims was largely sustained for at least 1 year. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry PACTR202204861458660. Registered on 4 April 2022.