Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 16;17(2):e0263827.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263827. eCollection 2022.

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on women's alcohol use, mental health, and experiences of intimate partner violence in Wakiso, Uganda

Amanda P Miller  1 , Stephen Mugamba  2   3 , Robert M Bulamba  3 , Emmanuel Kyasanku  3 , James Nkale  3 , Fred Nalugoda  3 , Gertrude Nakigozi  3 , Godfrey Kigozi  3 , Grace K Nalwoga  3 , Joseph Kagaayi  3 , Stephen Watya  3 , Jennifer A Wagman  4
Affiliations

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on women's alcohol use, mental health, and experiences of intimate partner violence in Wakiso, Uganda

Amanda P Miller et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Introduction: Uganda confirmed its first COVID-19 case in March 2020, leading to country-wide closures and a stay-at-home order. Infectious disease pandemics can overwhelm adaptive coping capacity (e.g., general self-efficacy and resilience) and increase the risk for mental distress. For individuals experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and cohabitating with a perpetrator, stay-at-home orders can also increase risk of violence, which can further exacerbate mental distress. The present study explores women's perceived self-efficacy and resilient coping, mental health outcomes (depression and COVID-19 related anxiety), hazardous alcohol use and IPV in the context of Uganda's national 2020 lockdown.

Methods: A phone-based survey was undertaken from June-August of 2020 in Wakiso District, Uganda. The study sample consisted of Africa Medical and Behavioral Sciences Organization (AMBSO) Population Health Surveillance (APHS) study participants who agreed to be contacted for future research. The analytic sample was restricted to women aged 13-80 years. Bivariate analysis and multivariable models explored associations between experiences of IPV and measures of adaptive coping, mental health and alcohol use.

Results: A total of 556 women aged 13-79 years (mean age of 33.4 years) participated. Over half (55%) were currently married. The majority (60%) reported a decrease in alcohol use during the lockdown. Nearly half of the sample were experiencing physical or verbal IPV and reported an increase in violence during the lockdown. In adjusted analysis, alcohol use was associated with four times greater odds of recent physical IPV (aOR 4.06, 95% CI = 1.65-10.02, p = 0.0024), while participants had lower odds of experiencing any form of IPV as general self-efficacy increased (aOR 0.95, 95% CI = 0.91-0.99, p = 0.0308).

Conclusion: Lockdown measures in Uganda may have mitigated increased alcohol consumption. IPV was exacerbated during lockdown; more than 2 in 5 IPV victims experienced increased physical or verbal violence. Development of programming and policies aimed at mitigating women's risk of IPV during future lockdowns are needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Conceptual model depicting pathways between an infectious disease pandemic, stay-at-home orders, mental health and behavioral sequelae.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ministry of Health Uganda. Coronavirus (Pandemic): COVID 19 Kampala Uganda: Government of Uganda; 2020. [cited 2020]. Available from: https://www.health.go.ug/covid/
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strong Partnerships and CDC Investments Support Uganda’s Rapid Response to COVID-19. 2020. [June 28 2020]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/stories/uganda-rapid-response-to-covid-...
    1. Human Rights Watch. Uganda: Respect Rights in COVID-19 Response Ensure Security Forces Refrain From Violence, Abuse. 2020. [updated April 2, 2020]. Available from: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/02/uganda-respect-rights-covid-19-respo...
    1. Semakula E. Gender, Police Brutality, and Public Health in Uganda During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Institute for African Women in Law. 2020. [Available from: https://www.africanwomeninlaw.com/post/gender-police-brutality-and-publi...].
    1. Pfefferbaum B, North CS. Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(6):510–2. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2008017 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types