BACKGROUND Violence exposure in adolescence is associated with a range of poor health and social outcomes, including both the perpetration and experience of violence in later intimate relationships. However, there is little longitudinal evidence on how both individual and contextual characteristics encourage or interrupt these associations. We designed the Contexts of Violence in Adolescence Cohort study (CoVAC) to provide evidence on these pathways for Ugandan adolescents, with the aim of providing information to improve the design of violence prevention interventions for adolescents and young adults. METHODS CoVAC is a mixed-methods prospective cohort study with three parallel strands. Between 2014 and 2022, the study comprises three waves of quantitative survey data collection; qualitative data from five time points; and a series of workshops to facilitate direct use of emerging findings by intervention developers at Uganda-based NGO Raising Voices in their ongoing work to prevent violence. 3431 adolescents participated in a survey in 2014 when the majority were aged 11-14 years, and agreed to be re-contacted for a Wave 2 survey in 2018 (aged about 15-18 years); and again in 2021 (aged 18-21 years). 36 young people from Wave 1 survey sample will be invited to participate in longitudinal qualitative data collection. Adolescents aged 18 years and over will provide informed consent; for those under age 18 years, adolescents will be invited to assent, except in cases where caregivers, following notification, have opted not to consent to their adolescent's participation. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed iteratively, and triangulation will be used to confirm, clarify and deepen our interpretation of findings. We will hold regular structured meetings so that emerging findings can be integrated into intervention development. DISCUSSION This will be the first longitudinal study on the aetiology of violence over adolescence in sub-Saharan Africa which will enable examination of pathways using mixed methods at multiple time points. Quantitative mediation analysis, and annual qualitative fieldwork will provide detailed insights into how adolescents' violence-related experiences, perspectives and practices relate to their social contexts and how these change over time. Results will feed directly into intervention development to reduce violence and harmful sequelae. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study is a long-term follow up of participants in the Good Schools Study (NCT01678846, clinicaltrials.gov). This protocol is for cohort follow-up only; we have a separate protocol paper describing an evaluation of the long-term effects of the Good School Toolkit (In preparation).

中文翻译：

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青少年群体暴力背景 (CoVAC) 研究：乌干达混合方法纵向研究方案。


背景 青春期的暴力暴露与一系列不良的健康和社会后果相关，包括在以后的亲密关系中实施和经历暴力。然而，很少有纵向证据表明个人和背景特征如何鼓励或中断这些关联。我们设计了青春期暴力背景研究 (CoVAC)，为乌干达青少年提供有关这些途径的证据，旨在提供信息以改进针对青少年和年轻人的暴力预防干预措施的设计。方法 CoVAC 是一项混合方法前瞻性队列研究，具有三个平行链。 2014年至2022年间，该研究包括三波定量调查数据收集；五个时间点的定性数据；以及一系列研讨会，以促进乌干达非政府组织 Raising Voices 的干预开发人员在其正在进行的预防暴力工作中直接利用新发现。 3431 名青少年参加了 2014 年的一项调查，当时大多数年龄为 11-14 岁，并同意在 2018 年再次联系进行第二波调查（年龄约为 15-18 岁）； 2021 年再次（18-21 岁）。第一波调查样本中的 36 名年轻人将被邀请参与纵向定性数据收集。 18岁及以上青少年将提供知情同意书；对于18岁以下的青少年，将邀请青少年同意，除非照顾者在收到通知后选择不同意青少年的参与。定量和定性数据将被迭代分析，三角测量将用于确认、澄清和深化我们对研究结果的解释。 我们将定期举行结构化会议，以便将新发现纳入干预措施的制定中。讨论这将是第一个关于撒哈拉以南非洲青少年暴力病因学的纵向研究，它将能够在多个时间点使用混合方法检查路径。定量中介分析和年度定性实地调查将提供详细的见解，了解青少年与暴力相关的经历、观点和做法如何与其社会背景相关，以及这些经历如何随着时间的推移而变化。结果将直接用于干预措施的制定，以减少暴力和有害后遗症。试验注册 这项研究是对 Good Schools 研究（NCT01678846，clinicaltrials.gov）参与者的长期随访。该方案仅用于队列随访；我们有一份单独的协议文件，描述了对 Good School Toolkit 的长期影响的评估（正在准备中）。