Violence against women and perceived health: An observational survey of patients treated in the multidisciplinary structure 'The Women's House' and two Family Planning Centres in the metropolitan Paris area

Intimate partner violence and associated factors among women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, intimate partner violence increased globally, but most notably in Africa. Conditions such as movement restrictions, staying home, and school closures increased the risk of domestic violence against women. Intimate partner violence is violence demonstrated by an intimate partner against women including physical, sexual, and psychological violence. Despite existing laws against intimate partner violence in Ethiopia, enforcement by law and the judicial system remains inadequate. Thus, this research aims to identify factors contributing to intimate partner violence among women during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing insights from the current literature.

Method

We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Cochrane, and others. Two reviewers separately carried out the search, study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction. A third party was involved in resolving disagreements among the reviewers. All 10 studies included in this study were published in English, with publication dates before 25 February 2024. Articles lacking an abstract and/or full-text, studies that did not identify the intended outcome, and qualitative studies were excluded from the analysis. A Microsoft Excel checklist was used to extract the data, which were then exported to STATA 11. I 2, funnel plots, and Egger's test were employed to measure heterogeneity and detect publication bias, respectively. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors among women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Result

The meta-analysis includes a sample size of 6,280 women from 10 articles. The pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors among women during the COVID-19 pandemic was found to be 31.60% (95% CI: 21.10-42.11) and significant factors were partner alcohol use with a pooled odds ratio of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.60-2.23), income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic with a pooled odds ratio of 9.86 (95% CI: 6.35-15.70), partner's literacy level/education status with a pooled odds ratio of 2.03 (95% CI: 1.57-2.63), and decision-making in the household with a pooled odds ratio of 1.82 (95% CI: 1.33-2.50).

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis found preliminary evidence that intimate partner violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A partner who has a history of alcohol use, women who had lost income during COVID-19, a partner who has no formal education, and household decisions made by the husband alone were statistically significant factors for intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This implies that the health sector must play a significant role in providing women who are victims of violence with comprehensive healthcare, advocating that violence against women should be viewed as unacceptable, and improving literacy to minimize the consequences of intimate partner violence among women.

Post-traumatic stress disorders in women victims-survivors of intimate partner violence: a mixed-methods pilot study in a French coordinated structure

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims-survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) consulting at the specialised and original facility 'Maison des Femmes' (MdF) or in two close municipal health centres (MHCs).

DESIGN

A mixed-methods study using a convergent parallel design from July 2020 to June 2021.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

A questionnaire was proposed to women aged 18 years and over having suffered from IPV, in the MdF and in two MHCs. We also conducted qualitative interviews with a subsample of the women, asking for victim-survivors' perceptions of the effect of the MdF's care.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The presence of a PTSD using the PTSD self-report checklist of symptoms, possibility of reaching women by phone 6 months after the inclusion visit, level of self-rated global health, number of emergency visits in the past 6 months, substances use, readiness to change and safety behaviours.

RESULTS

A total of 67 women (mean age: 34 years (SD=9.7)) responded to our questionnaire. PTSD diagnosis was retained for 40 women (59.7%). Around 30% of participants self-rated their global health as bad. Less than 30% (n=18) of women were regular smokers, and only 7.5% of participants had a problematic alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption score ≥4), 19.4% women used psychotropic drugs. Six months after inclusion, half of participants had been reached by phone. Analysis of the qualitative interviews clarified victim-survivors' perceptions of the MdF's specific care: social networking, multidisciplinary approach, specialised listening, healthcare facilities, evasion and 'feeling at home'.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of PTSD at inclusion was nearly the same between the three centres. This mixed-methods comparison will serve as a pilot study for a larger comparative trial to assess the long-term impact of the MdF's specialised care on victims-survivors' mental health, compared with the care of uncoordinated structures.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04304469.