Trends of substance use and interpersonal violence from 2007 to 2011 and 2017 among male and female adolescents in Mauritius

Abstract

This investigation aimed to report the trends in the prevalence of substance use and interpersonal violence among adolescents in Mauritius. Cross-sectional nationally representative data were analysed from 7,458 adolescents (15 years median age) that participated in three waves (2007, 2011 and 2017) of the “Mauritius Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)”. Significant improvements were found among both boys and girls in the decline of bulling victimization, involvement in physical fighting, passive smoking and among boys only having been physically attacked. Significant increases were found among both boys and girls in the prevalence of current other tobacco use. Several decreases in interpersonal violence and an increase of current other tobacco use were found among both boys and girls over three assessment points during a period of ten years calling for continued tobacco control enhancing activities in this adolescent population.

Key words: tobacco use, alcohol use, violence, bullying, trends, adolescents, Mauritius