Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

Swahn, Monica H.; Culbreth, Rachel; Tumwesigye, Nazarius Mbona; Topalli, Volkan; Wright, Eric; Kasirye, Rogers

doi:10.3390/ijerph15061061

Open AccessArticle

Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

by

Monica H. Swahn

^1,*,

Rachel Culbreth

¹

,

Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye

²,

Volkan Topalli

³,

Eric Wright

⁴

and

Rogers Kasirye

⁵

¹

Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3984 Atlanta, GA 30302-3984, USA

²

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala 00256, Uganda

³

Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3992, Atlanta, GA 30302-3992, USA

⁴

Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Science, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5020, Atlanta, GA 30302-5020, USA

⁵

Uganda Youth Developmental Link, P.O. Box 12659, Kampala 00256, Uganda

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(6), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061061

Submission received: 23 April 2018 / Revised: 14 May 2018 / Accepted: 16 May 2018 / Published: 24 May 2018

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Violence as a Public Health Issue)

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Abstract

This paper examines problem drinking, alcohol-related violence, and homelessness among youth living in the slums of Kampala—an understudied population at high-risk for both alcohol use and violence. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014 with youth living in the slums and streets of Kampala, Uganda (n = 1134), who were attending Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in centers. The analyses for this paper were restricted to youth who reported current alcohol consumption (n = 346). Problem drinking patterns were assessed among youth involved in alcohol-related violence. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine the impact of homelessness on alcohol-related violence through different measures of problem drinking. Nearly 46% of youth who consumed alcohol were involved in alcohol-related violence. Problem drinkers were more likely to report getting in an accident (χ² = 6.8, df = 1, p = 0.009), having serious problems with parents (χ² = 21.1, df = 1, p < 0.0001) and friends (χ² = 18.2, df = 1, p < 0.0001), being a victim of robbery (χ² = 8.8, df = 1, p = 0.003), and going to a hospital (χ² = 15.6, df = 1, p < 0.0001). For the mediation analyses, statistically significant models were observed for frequent drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness. Interventions should focus on delaying and reducing alcohol use in this high-risk population.

Keywords: homelessness; alcohol use; youth violence

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MDPI and ACS Style

Swahn, M.H.; Culbreth, R.; Tumwesigye, N.M.; Topalli, V.; Wright, E.; Kasirye, R. Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061061

AMA Style

Swahn MH, Culbreth R, Tumwesigye NM, Topalli V, Wright E, Kasirye R. Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(6):1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061061

Chicago/Turabian Style

Swahn, Monica H., Rachel Culbreth, Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye, Volkan Topalli, Eric Wright, and Rogers Kasirye. 2018. "Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 6: 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061061

APA Style

Swahn, M. H., Culbreth, R., Tumwesigye, N. M., Topalli, V., Wright, E., & Kasirye, R. (2018). Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061061

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Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

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