Literature indicates scarcity of cross-national research on the association between physical fighting and bullying victimisation among adolescents, and the moderating role of perceived social support and education spending on this association. Using multilevel binary logistic regression, this study examined the association of physical fighting with traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimisation, with public education spending and perceived social support from families and teachers as moderators. Country-level data were combined with 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey data from 162,792 adolescents (11-, 13- and 15-year-olds) in 27 European countries. Results showed that physical fighting was positively and significantly associated with cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimisation. These results signify that physical fighting is a robust predictor of bullying victimisation. The findings demonstrate that perceived social support and education spending buffered the association of physical fighting with traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimisation. The findings imply that social support not only prevents adolescents from engaging in physical fights, but also reduces the risk of bullying victimisation. Accordingly, to deter adolescents from engaging in physical violence and reduce the risk of bullying victimisation, there is need to fully comprehend the influence of physical fighting on bullying victimisation, and the moderating role of social support.

Existing research has documented the association between bullying perpetration and bullying victimisation. However, it is still unclear how different sources of social support moderate the association between bullying perpetration and bullying victimisation at a cross-national level. Using multilevel binary logistic regression models, this study examined the moderating role of public health care spending and perceived social support (i.e., family and teacher support) in the association between traditional bullying perpetration and victimisation by traditional bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents across 27 European countries. Country-level data were combined with 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey data from 162,792 adolescents (11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds) in 27 European countries. Results showed that adolescents who perpetrated traditional bullying had a higher likelihood of being victimised by traditional bullying and cyberbullying than adolescents who did not bully others. Results also indicated that the magnitude of the positive association between traditional bullying perpetration and victimisation by traditional bullying and cyberbullying was mitigated among adolescents with more family, teacher, and public health care support. These findings support the notion that multilayered systems of social support could play a vital role in bullying prevention and intervention strategies to address bullying among adolescents.

Persons with disabilities are disadvantaged in accessing sexual and reproductive health services, including condoms. In this study, we investigated whether condom access and use and their associated factors differed between persons with and without disabilities. We used data from adults in households receiving the Government of Zambia social cash transfers (SCT) in four districts of Luapula province. Condom access and use was the outcome. Disability, defined by the Washington Group Short Set Questions on Disability, was the main predictor. We performed logistic regression analyses to determine the associations between condom access and use and disability. In multivariable analyses, we controlled for covariates including age, sex, marital status, poverty status, HIV testing, and receiving the SCT. The sample comprised 1,143 people aged 16-49, with a median age of 21 years (interquartile range 18-28); 57.4% (n = 656) were female, 86.5% (n = 989) accessed and used condoms, and 17.9% (n = 205) were disabled, rating themselves with a 3 or a 4 on a scale of 1 = "not limited" to 4 = "cannot at all" in performing any of the six daily functions (seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care, or communicating). Nearly sixty percent(58.5% (n = 120)) of persons with disabilities were female, 79.5% (n = 163) reported being very poor, 87.8% (n = 180) reported receiving SCT, and 86.3% (n = 177) reported accessing and using condoms. Condom access and use did not differ between persons with and without disabilities (adjusted odds ratio: 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60-1.98]). We found no differences between persons with and without disabilities in condom access and use. We established that individual-level factors such as age, sex, marital status, and knowledge of being HIV positive might play a more important role in condom access and use than disability. Condom promotion interventions should account for these factors.

Objectives: We examined associations between accelerators (interventions impacting ≥2 SDG targets) and SDG-aligned well-being indicators among adolescents 16–24 years old in Zambia.Methods: We surveyed adults from 1,800 randomly sampled households receiving social cash transfers. We examined associations between accelerators (social cash transfers, life-long learning, mobile phone access) and seven well-being indicators among adolescents using multivariate logistic regressions.Results: The sample comprised 1,725 adolescents, 881 (51.1%) girls. Mobile phone access was associated with no poverty (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 2.08, p < 0.001), informal cash transfers (aOR 1.82, p = 0.004), and seeking mental health support (aOR 1.61, p = 0.020). Social cash transfers were associated with no disability-related health restrictions (aOR 2.56, p = 0.004) and lesser odds of seeking mental health support (aOR 0.53, p = 0.029). Life-long learning was associated with informal cash transfers (aOR 3.49, p < 0.001) and lower school enrollment (aOR 0.70, p = 0.004). Adolescents with disabled head-of-household reported worse poverty, good health but less suicidal ideation.Conclusions: Social cash transfers, life-long learning, and mobile phone access were positively associated with well-being indicators. Adolescents living with disabled head-of-household benefited less. Governments should implement policies to correct disability-related inequalities.

This article explored the differences in HIV testing in the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (EMTCT) between women with and without disabilities aged 16-55 years, reported being pregnant and receiving the social cash transfers (SCT) social safety nets in Luapula province, Zambia. We tested for associations between HIV testing in EMTCT and disability using logistic regression analyses. We calculated a functional score for each woman to determine if they had mild, moderate or severe difficulties and controlled for age, intimate partner sexual violence, and the SCT receipt. Of 1692 women, 29.8% (504) reported a disability, 724 (42.8%) mild, 203 (12.0%) moderate, and 83 (4.9%) severe functional difficulties (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.70). Women with moderate (aOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.44-2.88) or mild difficulties (aOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.32-2.08) or with a disability in cognition (aOR 1.67 95% CI 1.22-2.29) reported testing more for HIV than women without disabilities; Women with a disability in hearing (aOR 0.36 CI 0.16-0.80) reported testing less for HIV. Disability is common among women receiving the SCT in the study area accessing HIV testing in the EMTCT setting. HIV testing in EMTCT is challenging for women with disabilities in hearing.

We examined associations between accelerators (interventions impacting two or more SDG targets) and well-being indicators among adolescents in Zambia. Methods: We randomly sampled 1,800 households receiving social cash transfers (SCT) in four districts, surveyed adults 16 years and older. Using multivariable logistic regressions, stratified by household heads disability status, we examined associations between accelerators (SCT, life-long learning (LLL), mobile phone access (MPA)) and seven well-being indicators among adolescents 16 to 24 years old. We predicted adolescents' probabilities of reporting indicators with marginal effects models. Results: We included 1,725 adolescents, 881(51.1%) girls. MPA was associated with no poverty (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 2.08, p<0.001), informal cash transfers (aOR 1.82 p=0.004), seeking mental support (aOR 1.61, p=0.020); SCT with no health access restrictions related to disability (aOR 2.56, p=0.004), lesser odds seeking mental support (aOR 0.53, p=0.029); LLL with informal cash transfers (aOR 3.49, p<0.001), lower school enrolment (aOR 0.70, p=0.004). Adolescents living with disabled household heads reported worse poverty, good health, less suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Accelerators - SCT, LLL, MPA - were associated with well-being indicators. Adolescents living with disabled household heads benefited less.

Widespread access to ART has not improved the quality of life (QoL) for people living with HIV (PLHIV). We used the United Nations Disability project (UNPRPD) evaluation data to examine how physical illness, anxiety, and depression shape the QoL of PLHIV in households receiving the social cash transfers safety nets in Luapula, Zambia. We explored associations between each outcome - physical illness, anxiety, depression symptoms - and age, gender, poverty, hunger and disability, using univariable and multivariable regressions. We adjusted p-values for multiple hypothesis testing with sharpened Qs. The sample comprised 1925 respondents 16-55 years old, median age 31 (IQR 22-42 years), majority women (n = 1514, 78.6%). Two-thirds (1239, 64.4%) reported having a physical illness, a third (671, 34.9%) anxiety, and nine per cent (366) depression symptoms. More HIV positive people had a disability (34.6%, 53 versus 28.3%, 502; Q = 0.033), were physically ill (72.5%, 111 versus 63.7%, 1128; Q = 0.011), and two-fold (aOR 1.97 95% CI 1.31-2.94) more likely to report depression symptoms than HIV negative peers. Food insecurity and disability among PLHIV may worsen their physical illnesses, anxiety, depression symptoms, and other QoL domains. More research on the quality of life of PLHIV in poverty is required.

Fleas (Siphonaptera) are important vectors of several animal and human disease pathogens, while rodents are considered as reservoirs of most pathogens, including Yersinia pestis Factors that influence the parasitism rate of fleas, ecological aspects that modulate their distribution, and host-flea relationship in Eastern Zambia remain unknown. Furthermore, there is little information on the biodiversity and abundance of rodents and fleas in the study area. A total of 1212 mammals were sampled and examined. These included rodents (n=329), Crocidura (n=113), domestic pigs (n=254), small ruminants (n=346) and carnivores (n=168), and 1578 fleas, where five species were identified. There were nine genera and species of rodents with one genus of Crocidura captured. The results showed that 27(8.2%) and 19(5.8%) rodents and 8(7.0%) and 2(1.8%) Crocidura were positive for antibodies and pla gene for Y. pestis, respectively. Echidnophaga larina were the most mean abundant (MA=8.58), while Xenopsylla cheopis had the least mean abundant (MA=0.14), nevertheless it was the most infected with Y. pestis. Mastomys. natalensis was highest in plague positivity 31/56, followed by Crocidura spp 10/56 and Rattus rattus 6/56. The results indicated that three flea species were infected with Yersinia pestis. Shannon-Weiner (H) and dominance (D) indices of rodents were 1.5 and 0.2789, while the flea indices were 0.5310 and 0.8389, respectively. There was a strong association between richness of fleas and plague disease (p=0.01; x2=65.3). It’s established that rodents were more biodiversity than fleas while both were unevenly distributed. It’s recommended that control measures of fleas be intensified and sustained to lessen the spread of their associated diseases.

The challenge posed by child domestic labour remains very large in Zambia. Children forced out of school and into labour to help their families to make ends meet are denied the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for gainful future employment, thereby perpetuating the cycle of poverty in the family. Child labour therefore not only violates children's rights, but also has consequences for social development in Zambia. This study therefore sought to investigate the impact of child domestic labour on child poverty in Lusaka City of Zambia. The study employed an exploratory qualitative case study design. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Child domestics, parents and social workers were purposively sampled for study. Snowball was also applied to locate children. The results of the study showed that children who engage in domestic work come from households affected by HIV/AIDS, and families whose income and education levels are very low. Child domestic employment perpetuates child poverty, resulting in cycle of poverty among children and their families because it deprives children of schooling opportunities and lifelong skills which they can use to fight poverty. Inadequate government legislation poses a challenge to address child poverty and protect the rights of children against child labour and abuse. In order to address poverty and other vulnerabilities that lead children to engage in domestic work, child-sensitive social protection policies and poverty alleviation programmes should be devised by the Zambian government.