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Aboagye RG, Seidu AA, Cadri A, Salihu T, Arthur-Holmes F, Sam ST, Ahinkorah BO. Ending violence against women: Help-seeking behaviour of women exposed to intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291913. [PMID: 37796947 PMCID: PMC10553277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Intimate partner violence is a serious public health problem that transcends cultural boundaries in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have reported that violence characteristics and perception are strong predictors of help-seeking among women. We assessed the prevalence and factors associated with help-seeking among female survivors of intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS We pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of eighteen sub-Saharan African countries. The data were extracted from the women's files in countries with datasets from 2014 to 2021. A weighted sample of 33,837 women in sexual relationships: married or cohabiting who had ever experienced intimate partner violence within the five years preceding the survey were included in the analysis. Percentages with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to present the results of the prevalence of help-seeking for intimate partner violence. We used a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis to examine the factors associated with help-seeking among survivors of intimate partner violence. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their respective 95% CI. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS Out of the 33,837 women who had ever experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa, only 38.77% (95% CI = 38.26-39.28) of them sought help. Ethiopia had the lowest prevalence of women who sought help after experiencing intimate partner violence (19.75%; 95% CI = 17.58-21.92) and Tanzania had the highest prevalence (57.56%; 95% CI = 55.86-59.26). Marital status, educational level, current working status, parity, exposure to interparental violence, women's autonomy in household decision-making, mass media exposure, intimate partner violence justification, wealth index, and place of residence were associated with help-seeking behaviour of intimate partner violence survivors. CONCLUSION The low prevalence of help seeking among women who have experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa calls for the intensification of formal and informal sources of assistance. Education can play a critical role in empowering girls, which may increase future help-seeking rates. Through media efforts aimed at parental awareness, the long-term benefits of females enrolling in school could be achieved. However, concentrating solely on individual measures to strengthen women's empowerment may not bring a significant rise in help-seeking as far as patriarchal attitudes that permit violence continue to exist. Consequently, it is critical to address intimate partner violence from the dimensions of both the individual and violence-related norms and attitudes. Based on the findings, there should be public awareness creation on the consequences of intimate partner violence. Respective governments must increase their coverage of formal support services to intimate partner violence survivors especially those in rural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Gyan Aboagye
- Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Centre For Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
- REMS Consultancy Services, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western region, Ghana
| | - Abdul Cadri
- Department of Social and Behavioural Science, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tarif Salihu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Francis Arthur-Holmes
- Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sarah Tara Sam
- Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- REMS Consultancy Services, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western region, Ghana
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (AUCS), SWSLHD and Ingham Institute
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Bengesai AV, Khan HTA. Exploring the association between attitudes towards wife beating and intimate partner violence using a dyadic approach in three sub-Saharan African countries. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e062977. [PMID: 37316321 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study examines the association between attitudes towards wife beating and intimate partner violence (IPV) using a dyadic approach in three sub-Saharan countries. SETTING We use data from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey cross-sectional studies which were conducted between 2015 and 2018 in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe PARTICIPANTS: Our sample comprised 9183 couples who also had completed the information on the domestic violence questions and our variables of interest. RESULTS Our results indicate that women in these three countries are generally comparatively more inclined to justify marital violence than their husbands or partners. In terms of IPV experience, we found that when both partners endorsed wife beating, the risk of experiencing IPV was twice as likely after controlling for other couple-level and individual factors (OR=1.91, 95% CI 1.54-2.50, emotional violence; OR=2.42, 95% CI 1.96-3.00, physical violence; OR=1.97, 95% CI 1.47-2.61, sexual violence). The risk of IPV was also higher when the women alone endorsed IPV (OR=1.59, 95% CI 1.35-1.86, emotional violence; OR=1.85, 95% CI 1.59-2.15, physical violence; OR=1.83, 95% CI 1.51-2.22, sexual violence) than when the men alone were tolerant (OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.13-1.75, physical violence; OR=1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.90, sexual violence). CONCLUSIONS Our findings confirm that attitudes towards violence are perhaps one of the key indicators of IPV prevalence. Therefore, to break the cycle of violence in the three countries, more attention must be paid to attitudes towards the acceptability of marital violence. Programmes tailored to gender role transformation and promote non-violent gender attitudes are also needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annah V Bengesai
- College of Law and Management Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Hafiz T A Khan
- Public Health Group, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, London, UK
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Zegeye B, Olorunsaiye CZ, Ahinkorah BO, Ameyaw EK, Budu E, Seidu AA, Yaya S. Understanding the factors associated with married women's attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Womens Health 2022; 22:242. [PMID: 35717213 PMCID: PMC9206377 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01809-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intimate partner violence remains a major public health problem, especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the factors associated with married women's attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS We used Demographic and Health Survey data of 28 sub-Saharan African countries that had surveys conducted between 2010 and 2019. A sample of 253,782 married women was considered for the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out, and the results were presented using crude odds ratio (cOR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS The pooled result showed about 71.4% of married women in the 28 countries in this study did not justify wife-beating. However, the prevalence of non-justification of wife-beating varied from 83.4% in Malawi to 17.7% in Mali. Women's age (40-44 years-aOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.16-2.24), women's educational level (secondary school-aOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.13-1.91), husband's educational level (higher-aOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31-0.95), women's occupation type (professional, technical or managerial-aOR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.06-2.62), wealth index (richest-aOR = 5.52, 95% CI 3.46-8.80) and women's decision-making power (yes-aOR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.19-1.62) were significantly associated with attitude towards wife-beating. CONCLUSION Overall, less than three-fourth of married women in the 28 sub-Saharan African countries disagreed with wife-beating but marked differences were observed across socio-economic, decision making and women empowerment factors. Enhancing women's socioeconomic status, decision making power, and creating employment opportunities for women should be considered to increase women's intolerance of wife-beating practices, especially among countries with low prevalence rates such as Mali.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit, Ethiopia
| | | | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Eugene Budu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD Australia
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Hossain MM, Abdulla F, Rahman A, Khan HTA. Prevalence and determinants of wife-beating in Bangladesh: evidence from a nationwide survey. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:9. [PMID: 34983457 PMCID: PMC8725961 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03652-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health concern, with women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing a disproportionately high burden. This study investigates the prevalence and factors correlated with attitudes regarding wife-beating among Bangladeshi women in urban-rural contexts. METHODS A sample of 13,033 urban women and 51,344 rural women data from the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 were analyzed using the Chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression model. RESULTS The findings reveal that arguing with her husband is the widespread reason for wife-beating in Bangladesh (urban: 17.3%, rural: 21.9%), followed by neglecting the children (urban: 12.7%, rural: 15.8%). About 8% of urban women and 10% of rural women favoured the opinion that refusing to involve sexual intercourse is a legitimate justification for wife-beating. In comparison, around 5% feel that a husband has a right to beat his wife due to burning food. The respondents' age, education, marital status, number of children, socioeconomic level, any health or physical difficulty, having problems becoming pregnant, and the husband's age are all significant factors in justifying wife-beating. CONCLUSIONS Bangladesh has a massive challenge in eliminating IPV. Women from lower socioeconomic classes, low levels of education, other challenges, and residents of rural areas are particularly more vulnerable than their urban counterparts. Therefore, it is vital to develop a proper action plan that considers women's education and occupation to raise awareness of the various implications of wife-beating in women, particularly in Bangladesh's rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faruq Abdulla
- Department of Applied Health and Nutrition, RTM Al-Kabir Technical University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Azizur Rahman
- School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678 Australia
| | - Hafiz T. A. Khan
- Public Health & Statistics, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, Brentford, UK
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Zegeye B, Adjei NK, Ahinkorah BO, Ameyaw EK, Seidu AA, Olorunsaiye CZ, Yaya S. Does attitude towards wife beating determine infant feeding practices during diarrheal illness in sub-Saharan Africa? Trop Med Health 2021; 49:80. [PMID: 34627410 PMCID: PMC8501539 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-021-00369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inappropriate feeding practices of children during illness remains a public health problem globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). One strategy to improve child health outcomes is through women empowerment—measured by wife beating attitude. However, the role of attitude towards wife beating in child feeding practices has not been comprehensively studied. Therefore, we investigated the association between women's attitude towards wife beating and child feeding practices during childhood diarrhea in 28 countries in SSA. Methods We analyzed data from the Demographic and Health Survey on 40,720 children under 5 years. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were applied to assess the association between women's attitude towards wife beating and child feeding practices. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The pooled results showed that appropriate feeding practices during diarrheal illness among under-five children was 9.3% in SSA, varying from 0.4% in Burkina Faso to 21.1% in Kenya. Regarding regional coverage, the highest coverage was observed in Central Africa (9.3%) followed by East Africa (5.5%), Southern Africa (4.8%), and West Africa (4.2%). Women who disagreed with wife-beating practices had higher odds of proper child feeding practices during childhood diarrhea compared to those who justified wife-beating practices (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI; 1.17–3.48). Conclusion The findings suggest that women’s disagreement with wife beating is strongly associated with proper child feeding practices during diarrheal illness in SSA. Proactive measures and interventions designed to change attitudes towards wife-beating practices are crucial to improving proper feeding practices in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit, Ethiopia
| | - Nicholas Kofi Adjei
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. .,The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Aboagye RG, Seidu AA, Asare BYA, Peprah P, Addo IY, Ahinkorah BO. Exposure to interparental violence and justification of intimate partner violence among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 79:162. [PMID: 34503582 PMCID: PMC8428140 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00684-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the critical factors that account for the high prevalence of IPV among women. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to interparental violence and IPV justification among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Data for this study were obtained from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 26 countries in SSA conducted between 2010 and 2020. A total of 112,953 women in sexual unions were included in this study. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out. The results of the regression analysis were presented using crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The prevalence of interparental violence in the countries considered in this study was 23.8%, with the highest (40.8%) and lowest (4.9%) in Burundi and Comoros, respectively. IPV justification was 45.8%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Mali (80.9%) and South Africa (4.6%) respectively. Women who were exposed to interparental violence were more likely to justify IPV compared to those who were not exposed [aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.47–1.59]. We found higher odds of justification of IPV among women who were exposed to interparental violence compared to those who were not exposed in all the countries, except Burkina Faso, Comoros, Gambia, and Rwanda. Conclusion The findings call for several strategies for addressing interparental violence. These may include empowerment services targeting both men and women, formation of stronger social networks to improve women’s self-confidence, and the provision of evidence-based information and resources at the community level. These interventions should pay critical attention to young people exposed to interparental violence. Public health education and messaging should emphasise on the negative health and social implications of interparental violence and IPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Gyan Aboagye
- Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. .,Department of Estate Management, Takoradi Technical University, P.O. Box, 257, Takoradi, Ghana.
| | - Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah Asare
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Prince Peprah
- Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Isaac Yeboah Addo
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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