Spatial distribution and ecological correlates of sexual, physical and emotional violence against adolescent girls and young women in Namibia: a geospatial analysis of a national cross-sectional survey.
- 1Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
- 2Department of Geography, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK.
- 3Department of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
Abstract
Introduction
Violence against children and young people is a major global public health issue with significant consequences for individuals and society. However, its prevalence varies substantially by geography. Understanding where violence is concentrated is vital for identifying high-risk areas and designing targeted interventions. This study aimed to describe the spatial patterns and clustering of sexual (SV), physical (PV) and emotional violence (EV) against adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Namibia, examine associations between violence prevalence and area-level measures of individual characteristics in high-prevalence areas, and assess whether these associations vary geographically.Methods
We used aggregated data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey, which sampled 4199 AGYW aged 13-24 from 56 of 121 constituencies across Namibia. Global and Local Moran's I were used to assess spatial clustering and hotspots of violence. Ordinary least squares regression was used to identify significant area-level compositional factors associated with violence prevalence, and geographically weighted regression was applied to examine spatial heterogeneity of these associations.Results
SV (r=0.521, p<0.01) and EV (r=0.489, p<0.01) showed statistically significant spatial clustering, with higher prevalence in central and northern Namibia. We found that PV (I=0.042, p=0.215) was geographically dispersed. Hotspots of PV and EV co-occurred in central and northern regions. The strength of the associations between violence forms and aggregated indicators varied significantly across constituencies, indicating that relationships were not uniform countrywide. In high-prevalence areas, findings showed that included indicators explained less variation, suggesting that additional unaccounted factors may be involved.Conclusions
Violence against AGYW in Namibia is spatially patterned and context-specific. This study provides the first constituency-level spatial analysis of SV, PV and EV among AGYW in Namibia, demonstrating that both prevalence and associated risk factors vary geographically. These findings highlight the importance of integrating geospatial evidence into national violence prevention strategies and tailoring interventions to local risk profiles.
Related
- Family-related experiences, childhood trauma, and cognitive-emotional correlates across psychopathological domains in adolescent depression
- Electrophysiological reactivity to emotional images and targets predicts the development of substance use disorders in adolescent girls
- Sleep and the Daytime Course of Anhedonia in Adolescent Depression: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
- When school feels unsafe: bullying victimization, school climate, and adolescent emotional well-being
- Real-Time Associations Between Emotional Responses to Social Media and Mood Differ By Adolescent: Implications For Risk and Resilience
BibTeX
@article{shinyemba2026spatial,
title = {{Spatial distribution and ecological correlates of sexual, physical and emotional violence against adolescent girls and young women in Namibia: a geospatial analysis of a national cross-sectional survey.}},
author = {Tobias Willem Shinyemba and Shino Shiode and Karen M Devries},
journal = {BMJ public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1136/bmjph-2025-002672},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921191},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Spatial distribution and ecological correlates of sexual, physical and emotional violence against adolescent girls and young women in Namibia: a geospatial analysis of a national cross-sectional survey.
AU - Tobias Willem Shinyemba
AU - Shino Shiode
AU - Karen M Devries
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - BMJ public health
DO - 10.1136/bmjph-2025-002672
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921191
AB - Introduction Violence against children and young people is a major global public health issue with significant consequences for individuals and society. However, its prevalence varies substantially by geography. Understanding where violence is concentrated is vital for identifying high-risk areas and designing targeted interventions. This study aimed to describe the spatial patterns and clustering of sexual (SV), physical (PV) and emotional violence (EV) against adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Namibia, examine associations between violence prevalence and area-level measures of individual characteristics in high-prevalence areas, and assess whether these associations vary geographically.Methods We used aggregated data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey, which sampled 4199 AGYW aged 13-24 from 56 of 121 constituencies across Namibia. Global and Local Moran's I were used to assess spatial clustering and hotspots of violence. Ordinary least squares regression was used to identify significant area-level compositional factors associated with violence prevalence, and geographically weighted regression was applied to examine spatial heterogeneity of these associations.Results SV (r=0.521, p<0.01) and EV (r=0.489, p<0.01) showed statistically significant spatial clustering, with higher prevalence in central and northern Namibia. We found that PV (I=0.042, p=0.215) was geographically dispersed. Hotspots of PV and EV co-occurred in central and northern regions. The strength of the associations between violence forms and aggregated indicators varied significantly across constituencies, indicating that relationships were not uniform countrywide. In high-prevalence areas, findings showed that included indicators explained less variation, suggesting that additional unaccounted factors may be involved.Conclusions Violence against AGYW in Namibia is spatially patterned and context-specific. This study provides the first constituency-level spatial analysis of SV, PV and EV among AGYW in Namibia, demonstrating that both prevalence and associated risk factors vary geographically. These findings highlight the importance of integrating geospatial evidence into national violence prevention strategies and tailoring interventions to local risk profiles.
SN - 2753-4294
ER -