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Article History

Received: 7 February 2025

Accepted: 9 October 2025

First Online: 3 November 2025

Declarations

:

: This study is based on secondary analysis of the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) dataset. The DHS Program survey was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles stated in the Helsinki Declaration. The launch of phase DHS-VII data collection was conditional on the authorization of the National Statistical Council and the approval of the National Committee on Health Research Ethics. The DHS program obtained informed consent from all participants during the original data collection, and the datasets are anonymized before being made publicly available. For respondents under the age of 16, informed consent was obtained from a parent or legally authorized representative. For this analysis, we obtained permission to use the DHS dataset, and no additional consent from participants was required.

: Not applicable. This study used secondary, fully anonymized data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS), and no individual participant data are identifiable.

: Informed consent was obtained from all participants at the time of the original survey. For respondents under the age of 16, consent was obtained from a parent or legally authorized representative. The data provided for this analysis were fully anonymized, and no additional consent from participants was required.

: The authors declare no competing interests.