Physical Fighting among School-Attending Adolescents in El Salvador: An Examination of the 2013 Global School-Based Health Survey

Mazin Omer, Masood Ali Shaikh, Mariella Stiller and Michael Lowery Wilson
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Mazin Omer: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Masood Ali Shaikh: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention (IEP) Research Group, Turku Brain Injury Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland
Mariella Stiller: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Michael Lowery Wilson: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: Background: Violence among school-attending adolescents is an important public health problem worldwide. The present study examined demographic correlates for physical fighting behavior among a nationally representative sample of school-attending adolescents in El Salvador. Methods: Initial cross-tabulations to screen for correlations was then followed by logistic regression to understand the direction and the strength of selected demographic variables for physical fighting behavior, which occurred within a 12 month period of recall. Results: Out of a sample of 1910 school-attending adolescents in El Salvador, 11.5% reported having been involved in two or more physical fights during the recall period. Regression analyses indicated that being male (OR = 3.55; 95% CI = 2.11–6.00); having experienced bullying (OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.44–3.24); physical activity (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.46–0.80); a sedentary lifestyle (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.05–2.27), suicide planning (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.46–3.56), and having non-understanding parents (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.06–1.98) were significantly associated with physical fighting among the sampled adolescents. Conclusion: Within the limitations of cross-sectional surveys conducted in school settings, the results of the present study suggest that giving attention to preventing bullying behavior among males and involving parents should be components of a multi-pronged strategy to preventing physical fighting in schools in El Salvador.

Keywords: school health; interpersonal violence; mental health; injury prevention; epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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