Is the likelihood of spousal violence lower or higher among childless women? Evidence from Nigeria demographic and health surveys

Prevalence of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and associations with mental distress in Cambodia, Malawi and Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Research from high-income countries shows that witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) between caregivers is experienced by up to a third of all children and is related to poor mental health outcomes. Much less is known about the burden of witnessing IPV in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES

This study seeks to explore the magnitude of witnessing IPV between caregivers, its association with other types of violence and the relationship between witnessing IPV in the past and current mental distress.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Representative data from the Violence against Children Surveys (VACS) from Cambodia (N = 2373), Malawi (N = 2147) and Nigeria (N = 4098) are employed.

METHODS

Logistic regression was applied to assess the association between witnessing IPV in childhood and mental distress in adulthood.

RESULTS

Between 22.4 % and 34.3 % of participants witnessed IPV between their caregivers during childhood. Respondents who witnessed IPV had higher odds of mental distress, compared to those who did not witness IPV in Cambodia (OR 2.73 [2.02, 3.72] for females, OR 2.38 [1.67, 3.41] for males) and Malawi (OR 2.48 [1.43, 4.28] for females, OR 1.66 [1.11, 2.48] for males). In Nigeria only male respondents who witnessed IPV had higher odds of mental distress (OR 2.12 [1.60, 2.80]), but females had no significant association (OR 0.91 [0.68, 1.20]).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the association of negative mental health consequences faced by children living in households with intimate partner violence for selected low- and middle-income countries. Children's exposure to IPV should be considered when providing support to survivors of IPV. Special considerations should be made to provide culturally and resource-appropriate support.

Quality of care in sterilization services at the public health facilities in India: A multilevel analysis

Female sterilization is the most popular contraceptive method among Indian couples, and the public sector is the major source of sterilization services in the country. However, concerns remain on the quality of services provided, deaths, failures, and complications following sterilization. In this paper, we study the complexities around the quality of care in female sterilization services at public health facilities and identify strategies for improving the measurement of such quality. A better understanding of these issues could inform pragmatic strategies for enhancing quality. This study uses data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015–16 and District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) 2012–13. The study is limited to only districts whose data are available in both DLHS 2012–13 and NFHS 2015–16. The methods of analysis include bivariate statistics, Pearson’s chi-square test, and two-level mixed-effects logistic regression. We found that the quality of care (QoC) in sterilization service at the public health facilities in India is associated with facility readiness and the socio-economic characteristics of the clients. There is a significant association between household wealth and the QoC received. Our study provides empirical shreds of evidence on the role of structural attributes in delivering quality sterilization services. The spatial analyses revealed the geographies in the country where the QoC and facility readiness are low. Quality should be an overriding priority to establish the credibility of any health care delivery system. It is essential to provide safeguards against adverse events to develop the client’s confidence in the services, which is the key to success for any voluntary family planning program like in India.

Do the prevalence and correlates of adverse reproductive health outcomes differ by marriage cohorts? Evidence from a study of two marriage cohorts in Nigeria

The researchers examined the prevalence and correlates of adverse reproductive health outcomes among two cohorts of married women in Nigeria based on the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. A weighted sample size of 8,704 and 6,076 women were analyzed respectively for the child and delayed marriage cohorts. Our results showed differences in adverse reproductive health outcomes by marriage cohorts with higher prevalence in the child marriage cohort and also differences in the correlates of adverse reproductive health outcomes. Strategies to promote the uptake of reproductive health services, gender equity and women's empowerment across the different marriage cohorts are required.

Prevalence of Domestic Violence among Infertile Women attending Subfertility Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital

INTRODUCTION

Millions of couples suffered from Infertility worldwide. Infertility can cause intense emotional pain in women resulting in stress, anxiety and depression. Domestic violence in infertile women can further results in poor health status and lowers the quality of life. The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of domestic violence among infertile women attending subfertility clinic of tertiary hospital.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among infertile women in a tertiary hospital from July to August 2018 after taking ethical approval. Convenient sampling was used. Face to face interview was conducted using a structured interview schedule. Data analysis was done in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) were used to analyze the data. Point estimate at 95% CI was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.

RESULTS

Domestic violence was found among 62 (55.35%) women at 95% Confidence Interval (46.15-64.55). The emotional violence accounted for 57 (50.89%), physical violence for 19 (16.96%) and sexual violence for 18 (16.07%). The prevalence of domestic violence was more 22 (61.11%) in women with secondary infertility than in women with primary infertility 40 (52.63%). The main perpetrators of domestic violence were family members 28 (45.16%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that women experiencing infertility are exposed to various forms of domestic violence, emotional one being most common. Routine screening for domestic violence in infertility clinics is necessary to give affected women an opportunity to access appropriate health care and support services.

Stress, stigma, violence experiences and social support of US infertile women

Objectives: Previous studies investigated the physical, psychological and sociological effects of infertility; however, stigma and violence experiences of infertile women haven't yet been studied in the US. The objective of the study is to examine the perceived stress, stigma, violence experiences, and social support of US infertile women and to compare with fertile women in order to understand the effects of infertility on stress levels, violence exposures, and support. Methods: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with fertile and infertile women who use social media for an online support group. A convenience sample of 786 women completed an online survey. Results: In the study, 41.6% of participants were fertile and 58.4% were infertile. We found infertile women experienced high levels of stigma and moderate stress. One in five infertile women has been exposed to emotional or physical violence. Compared to fertile women, infertile women had significantly higher perceived stress levels and were less likely to experience emotional or physical violence. Conclusion: These findings highlight that infertile women have experienced stigma and high levels of stress in a developed country. They are also exposed to emotional or physical violence, but surprisingly infertile women are less likely to report violence than fertile women.