141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

278647
Demographic and psychosocial factors associated with exposure to post-disaster sexual violence amongst haitian women living in post-earthquake camps

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM

Linda Marc, ScD, MPH , Department of Biostatistics and Division of Policy, Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Robert Brennan, EdD , FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, Boston, MA
RusselAnne Arlene Vallie, MSW , Behavioral Science Research Institute, Inc., Boston, MA
Nathalie Coicou , Reussir, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Astride Desrosiers, MD, MPH , Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Joanna Dabao , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Marguerite Jean , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Abdul Jethro James Guillaume , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Vlatko Avramovsk , Data Management Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Heidi Resnick, PhD , National Crime Victims Center (NCVC), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Janet St. Lawrence, PhD , Mississippi State University, Meridian, MS
Marcia A. Testa, MPH PhD , Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, MA
PURPOSE: To establish incidence estimates of exposure to post-disaster sexual violence (PDSV) amongst internally displaced (IDP) Haitian females using three separate, and 1-combined measure; and to examine the association of these multiple measures with sociodemographic and psychosocial factors.

STUDY POPULATION/DATA: Using a cross-sectional design, female heads of households (N=541) were selected from a stratified random sample of 130,349 IDP registered households following the earthquake. The database was established through a partnership between an agency of the United Nations, a research organization and academic institution, who received endorsement from the Haitian Government to conduct this survey.

METHODS: Exposure to PDSV was measured using self-report, sisterhood method, neighborhood method, and combined measures. “Sisterhood” assumes women know about PDSV experienced by sisters and daughters. “Neighborhood” assumes women know about PDSV in tents within visual proximity. Multivariate logistic regression models were adjusted for age, co-habitation, pre/post relative poverty, parental status, self-esteem and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS: Preliminary findings show the combined measure produced an overall incidence of 6.7% exposed to PDSV; and respondents reported less about themselves (1.3%), daughters (0.2%), sisters (0.7%) yet more about neighbors (4.4%). In an adjusted model factors associated with a “neighborhood” report include older age (OR=1.03, p=0.04, 95%CI [1.00-1.07]), depressive symptoms (OR=1.12, p=0.005, 95% CI [1.03-1.21]) and worsened poverty (OR=1.06, p=0.02, 95%CI [1.00-1.11]); yet factors associated with a “sister” report are younger age (OR=0.91, p=0.05, 95% CI [0.83-0.99]).

RECOMMENDATIONS: Multiple measures that assess exposure to PDSV should be administered to female IDPs, with the collection of demographic and psychosocial information.

Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the incidence of post-disaster sexual violence amongst Haitian women living in post-earthquake camps Evaluate the usefulness of the "neighborhood measure" in estimating exposure to post-disaster sexual violence Evaluate the usefulness of the "sisterhood measure" in estimating exposure to post-disaster sexual violence Evaluate the usefulness of the "self-report measure" in estimating exposure to post-disaster sexual violence Examine demographic and psychosocial factors associated with the multiple types of measures

Keywords: Violence, Women's Sexuality

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of the current study entitled, Post-Disaster Sexual Violence in Haiti. Amongst my scientific interests I have investigated the barriers to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis amongst female victims of sexual violence in Haiti.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.