Prevalence and Correlates of Abusive Behaviours in Upper Egyptian Adolescents: Violence, Sexual Abuse Victimisation, and Substance Abuse among Blood Group Types Subsets

Deviant behaviours, namely physical violence, sexual abuse; illicit drug use are globally spreading risks. They tend to be socially concealed, rendering evaluating their impact upon population subsets difficult.

Aim: Analyse trends and correlates of violence, sexual abuse, and substance abuse victimisation among adolescents in Upper Egypt.

Methods: Youth aged 15-21 were randomly selected and cross-sectioned; and a validated questionnaire was used to achieve study aim.

Results: Out of 1225 recruits, 30.2% were 15-<17, 58.9% were 17-<19, 10.9% were 19-21y old; and 66.0% were male. Half (49.5%) of participants was of a low socioeconomic status (SES). Recognised victimisation rates of violence and sexual abuses were 42.0% and 8.7%, respectively; the prevalence of substance abuse mounted 9.4%. Those 15-<17y old were more liable to violence victimisation than older peers [(181/360) (50.3%), χ2(df=2)=18.6, p<0.0001]. Male participants were at a greater risk for violence victimisation [(400/870) (46%), χ2(df=1)=13.4, p<0.0001]; youths of the lowest SES had a similar tendency, too [(213/487) (43.7%), χ2(df=2)=6.8, p=0.03]. Being a female or of a low SES was associated with a higher sexual abuse incidence [(49/325) (15.0%), χ2(df=1)=25.9, p<0.0001; 52/465 (11.1%), χ2(df=2)=7.9, p=0.018], respectively. Male and the highest SES adolescents were more likely to abuse substance [(72/650) (11.0%), χ2(df=1)=6.5, p=0.011; (41/212) (19.4%), χ2(df=2)=33.1, p<0.0001], respectively. The frequency of substance abuse among AB blood group candidates was higher than among other groups [χ2(df=3)=132.9, p<0.0001].

Conclusions: Abusive acts victimisation is prevalent among Egyptian adolescents in Upper Egypt. Male gender and low SES are risks for physical abuse victimisation; high SES is risk for substance abuse. Prevalence of substance abuse among AB blood type individuals mandates further genetic and haematological research. Influenced by age and socioeconomic circumstances, a dynamic preventive approach guided by massive screening for early detection of risk groups is warranted.