Prevalence and correlates of physical fighting among school going students aged 13-15 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of being in a physical fight in association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) member states. The total sample consisted of 30284 adolescents aged 13 - 15 years from seven ASEAN countries that were included in the cross-sectional global school-based student health survey (GSHS) between 2007 and 2013. The prevalence of being in a physical fight in the past 12 months across seven ASEAN countries (excluding Brunei) was 30.1%, ranging from below 15% in Cambodia and Myanmar to more than 30% in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, sociodemographic factors (younger age, being male, the experience of hunger) and risk behavior (sedentary behavior, ever had sex, tobacco use, alcohol use, truancy, being bullied, and having sustained an injury) were found to be associated with having been in a physical fight in the past year. Lack of protective social-familial factors (low peer support and low parental or guardian support) were only associated with physical fighting in bivariate analyses. A significant proportion of physical fighting was found in ASEAN calling for interventions aimed to prevent physical fighting considering identified associated factors.