Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal

Jean Augustin Diegane Tine; Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore; Adja Rokhaya Diop; Ibrahima Seck

doi:doi:10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal

Jean Augustin Diegane Tine^*

, Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore

, Adja Rokhaya Diop, Ibrahima Seck

Published in Central African Journal of Public Health (Volume 11, Issue 5)

Received: 18 August 2025 Accepted: 4 October 2025 Published: 28 October 2025

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Abstract

Introduction: People with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence, often resulting in significant physical and psychological harm. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of violence among persons with disabilities aged 15–69 years in Senegal in 2023, focusing on physical, verbal, and sexual violence. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component was conducted from February 9 to March 10, 2023, after approval by the National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Senegal. A total of 1,442 individuals with disabilities were surveyed using standardized tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different forms of violence. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were verbal abuse (42.9%), stigmatization (31.6%), and physical assault (20.3%), while sexual violence was reported by 4.3% of participants. Age was a protective factor, with each additional year reducing the risk of experiencing violence. Women were significantly more likely to report sexual violence. Compared with individuals with regular income, those without income were less exposed to verbal and physical violence, while irregular income reduced the risk of physical violence. Early onset of disability (at birth or during childhood/adolescence) increased vulnerability to verbal and physical abuse, while onset during childhood/adolescence also heightened the risk of sexual violence. Membership in disability organizations and food insecurity were associated with higher risks of verbal and physical violence, whereas drug use was strongly linked to physical violence. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of violence against people with disabilities in Senegal and identifies key sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Addressing these determinants is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by strengthening health system responses and promoting inclusive protection policies.

Published in	Central African Journal of Public Health (Volume 11, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
Page(s)	311-323
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Disability, Violence, Risk Factors, Epidemiology, Senegal

References

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APA Style

Tine, J. A. D., Traore, P. H. B., Diop, A. R., Seck, I. (2025). Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Central African Journal of Public Health, 11(5), 311-323. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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ACS Style

Tine, J. A. D.; Traore, P. H. B.; Diop, A. R.; Seck, I. Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Cent. Afr. J. Public Health 2025, 11(5), 311-323. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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AMA Style

Tine JAD, Traore PHB, Diop AR, Seck I. Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Cent Afr J Public Health. 2025;11(5):311-323. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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@article{10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19,
  author = {Jean Augustin Diegane Tine and Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore and Adja Rokhaya Diop and Ibrahima Seck},
  title = {Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal
},
  journal = {Central African Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {11},
  number = {5},
  pages = {311-323},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cajph.20251105.19},
  abstract = {Introduction: People with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence, often resulting in significant physical and psychological harm. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of violence among persons with disabilities aged 15–69 years in Senegal in 2023, focusing on physical, verbal, and sexual violence. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component was conducted from February 9 to March 10, 2023, after approval by the National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Senegal. A total of 1,442 individuals with disabilities were surveyed using standardized tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different forms of violence. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were verbal abuse (42.9%), stigmatization (31.6%), and physical assault (20.3%), while sexual violence was reported by 4.3% of participants. Age was a protective factor, with each additional year reducing the risk of experiencing violence. Women were significantly more likely to report sexual violence. Compared with individuals with regular income, those without income were less exposed to verbal and physical violence, while irregular income reduced the risk of physical violence. Early onset of disability (at birth or during childhood/adolescence) increased vulnerability to verbal and physical abuse, while onset during childhood/adolescence also heightened the risk of sexual violence. Membership in disability organizations and food insecurity were associated with higher risks of verbal and physical violence, whereas drug use was strongly linked to physical violence. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of violence against people with disabilities in Senegal and identifies key sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Addressing these determinants is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by strengthening health system responses and promoting inclusive protection policies.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal

AU  - Jean Augustin Diegane Tine
AU  - Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore
AU  - Adja Rokhaya Diop
AU  - Ibrahima Seck
Y1  - 2025/10/28
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
DO  - 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
T2  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JF  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JO  - Central African Journal of Public Health
SP  - 311
EP  - 323
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5781
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
AB  - Introduction: People with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence, often resulting in significant physical and psychological harm. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of violence among persons with disabilities aged 15–69 years in Senegal in 2023, focusing on physical, verbal, and sexual violence. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component was conducted from February 9 to March 10, 2023, after approval by the National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Senegal. A total of 1,442 individuals with disabilities were surveyed using standardized tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different forms of violence. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were verbal abuse (42.9%), stigmatization (31.6%), and physical assault (20.3%), while sexual violence was reported by 4.3% of participants. Age was a protective factor, with each additional year reducing the risk of experiencing violence. Women were significantly more likely to report sexual violence. Compared with individuals with regular income, those without income were less exposed to verbal and physical violence, while irregular income reduced the risk of physical violence. Early onset of disability (at birth or during childhood/adolescence) increased vulnerability to verbal and physical abuse, while onset during childhood/adolescence also heightened the risk of sexual violence. Membership in disability organizations and food insecurity were associated with higher risks of verbal and physical violence, whereas drug use was strongly linked to physical violence. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of violence against people with disabilities in Senegal and identifies key sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Addressing these determinants is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by strengthening health system responses and promoting inclusive protection policies.

VL  - 11
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Jean Augustin Diegane Tine

Institute of Health and Development (ISED), Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal; Mental Health Division, Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6636-7548
Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore

Institute of Health and Development (ISED), Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2659-0614
Adja Rokhaya Diop

Institute of Health and Development (ISED), Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
Ibrahima Seck

Institute of Health and Development (ISED), Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal

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APA Style

Tine, J. A. D., Traore, P. H. B., Diop, A. R., Seck, I. (2025). Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Central African Journal of Public Health, 11(5), 311-323. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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ACS Style

Tine, J. A. D.; Traore, P. H. B.; Diop, A. R.; Seck, I. Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Cent. Afr. J. Public Health 2025, 11(5), 311-323. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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AMA Style

Tine JAD, Traore PHB, Diop AR, Seck I. Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal. Cent Afr J Public Health. 2025;11(5):311-323. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19

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@article{10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19,
  author = {Jean Augustin Diegane Tine and Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore and Adja Rokhaya Diop and Ibrahima Seck},
  title = {Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal
},
  journal = {Central African Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {11},
  number = {5},
  pages = {311-323},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cajph.20251105.19},
  abstract = {Introduction: People with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence, often resulting in significant physical and psychological harm. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of violence among persons with disabilities aged 15–69 years in Senegal in 2023, focusing on physical, verbal, and sexual violence. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component was conducted from February 9 to March 10, 2023, after approval by the National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Senegal. A total of 1,442 individuals with disabilities were surveyed using standardized tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different forms of violence. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were verbal abuse (42.9%), stigmatization (31.6%), and physical assault (20.3%), while sexual violence was reported by 4.3% of participants. Age was a protective factor, with each additional year reducing the risk of experiencing violence. Women were significantly more likely to report sexual violence. Compared with individuals with regular income, those without income were less exposed to verbal and physical violence, while irregular income reduced the risk of physical violence. Early onset of disability (at birth or during childhood/adolescence) increased vulnerability to verbal and physical abuse, while onset during childhood/adolescence also heightened the risk of sexual violence. Membership in disability organizations and food insecurity were associated with higher risks of verbal and physical violence, whereas drug use was strongly linked to physical violence. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of violence against people with disabilities in Senegal and identifies key sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Addressing these determinants is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by strengthening health system responses and promoting inclusive protection policies.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Epidemiology of Violence Among People with Disabilities in Senegal

AU  - Jean Augustin Diegane Tine
AU  - Pengd-Wende Habib Bousse Traore
AU  - Adja Rokhaya Diop
AU  - Ibrahima Seck
Y1  - 2025/10/28
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
DO  - 10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
T2  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JF  - Central African Journal of Public Health
JO  - Central African Journal of Public Health
SP  - 311
EP  - 323
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5781
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20251105.19
AB  - Introduction: People with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence, often resulting in significant physical and psychological harm. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of violence among persons with disabilities aged 15–69 years in Senegal in 2023, focusing on physical, verbal, and sexual violence. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component was conducted from February 9 to March 10, 2023, after approval by the National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Senegal. A total of 1,442 individuals with disabilities were surveyed using standardized tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with different forms of violence. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were verbal abuse (42.9%), stigmatization (31.6%), and physical assault (20.3%), while sexual violence was reported by 4.3% of participants. Age was a protective factor, with each additional year reducing the risk of experiencing violence. Women were significantly more likely to report sexual violence. Compared with individuals with regular income, those without income were less exposed to verbal and physical violence, while irregular income reduced the risk of physical violence. Early onset of disability (at birth or during childhood/adolescence) increased vulnerability to verbal and physical abuse, while onset during childhood/adolescence also heightened the risk of sexual violence. Membership in disability organizations and food insecurity were associated with higher risks of verbal and physical violence, whereas drug use was strongly linked to physical violence. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of violence against people with disabilities in Senegal and identifies key sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Addressing these determinants is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by strengthening health system responses and promoting inclusive protection policies.

VL  - 11
IS  - 5
ER  -

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