Dating violence prevalence and risk factors among adolescents (14–19 years) in urban public schools in Panama

BACKGROUND: Adolescent dating violence (ADV) can have lasting effects on youth's well-being and development. However, few studies in Latin America have described its prevalence and risk factors for having experienced ADV. METHODS: We conducted a multisite, cross-sectional study using two-stage cluster sampling among adolescents (14–19 years) attending public high schools in the urban districts of Panama, San Miguelito, Colón, and Arraiján/La Chorrera from 2015 to 2018 (N = 2469). All completed a tablet-based, self-administered questionnaire. Random effects logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for each ADV type among adolescent boys and girls separately. FINDINGS: Participants reported experiencing a range of ADV at least once (girls: emotional 61.6%, physical 7.9%, sexual 21.0%; boys: emotional 73.4%, physical 24.1%, sexual 28.9%). In adjusted models, participants with a history of sexual intercourse had greater odds of ADV than those without such history across types (boys: emotional and sexual; girls: emotional, physical, and sexual). Additionally, participants who reported three or more romantic partners in the past year had greater odds of ADV than those with one partner (boys: emotional, physical; girls: physical). Girls with an earlier sexual debut (≤14 years vs ≥15 years) had greater odds of reporting ADV (emotional and sexual violence). No associations were found between reporting dating violence survival and the sex of romantic partners in the past year or the age of the current/most recent sex partner. INTERPRETATION: This study reveals a high prevalence of ADV among adolescents in urban public schools in Panama. These findings support the need for program implementation to address ADV. FUNDING: Funding to undertake this study was acquired from Panama's Ministry of Economics and Finance, project number 009044.049.