Economic violence against women: A case in Turkey

Intimate Partner Violence and Attachment Styles as Factors Associated with Coping Stress Styles Among Iranian Women

The current study sought to examine attachment styles as mediators between intimate partner violence (IPV) and stress coping styles among Iranian women. Data were collected from September to December 2020. The study population was composed of 102 women who were referred to Social Emergency Centers in Isfahan and affected by domestic violence. They were given self-report questionnaires to measure IPV (the Haj-Yahia Violence Questionnaire), Stress Coping Styles (CISS), and Attachment Styles (AAQ). Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Sexual IPV victimization was related to both avoidant attachment (β = .229, p = .015) and anxious attachment (β = .245, p = .008). Anxious attachment style was related to emotion-oriented coping (β = .437, p = .000). There was a negative relationship between avoidant attachment and anxious attachment (β = -.237, p = .032) with avoidance-oriented coping. Sexual IPV victimization and economic IPV victimization were associated with avoidance-oriented coping (β = -.225, t = 0.816, p = .015; β = .188, t = 0.816, p = .044). Women who had experienced IPV and had an insecure attachment style were more likely to utilize avoidance and emotional coping strategies. For women who had a secure attachment style, there was no association was found between IPV victimization and coping styles. Attachment styles may influence the relationship between IPV and coping strategies in Iranian women who have experienced violence.

Attitudes of Individuals with Alcohol and Substance Addiction Towards Violence Against Women

The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of alcohol and substance dependent individuals towards violence against women. This cross-sectional study was completed with n=105 patients who were followed up in the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment and Research Center of a state hospital. In this study, personal information form and ISKEBE attitudes towards violence against women scale were used as data collection tools. Among the patients diagnosed with alcohol-substance use disorder, n=53 (60.9%) were between the ages of 18-34 and n=70 (66.7%) were single. Of the patients, n=36 (52.2%) had been exposed to any type of domestic violence. The attitude scores of patients diagnosed with alcohol-substance use disorder towards violence against women were measured as 99.89 ± 22.1. In the current study, patients diagnosed with alcohol-substance use disorder who were male, lived in rural areas, had poor income status and had low educational level were found to have negatively low attitudes towards violence against women. In conclusion of this study, further studies and practices to determine and improve attitudes towards violence against women in patients diagnosed with alcohol-substance use disorder are recommended.

A classification model for municipalities in the paraense Amazon regarding the risk of violence against women: A multicriteria approach

Violence against women (VAW) is a serious violation of the rights to life, health, and physical integrity. Recent studies point out that social, economic, and demographic factors directly impact the advance of this type of violence. In view of these facts, the state has its responsibility increased when it cannot provide the public equipment necessary for management strategies that collaborate with the confrontation of violence. This project aims to develop a multicriteria decision analysis model (MCDA) to classify Pará municipalities with regard to the propensity for VAW crime, based on the mapping of assistance and protection equipment, as well as socioeconomic indicators of each municipality. The model developed and the research findings represent an important step in elaboration. In turn, this model demonstrates its ability to be a possible instrument that decision makers and implementers of public policies aimed at protecting and supporting women victims of violence in order to anticipate new occurrences.

Predictors of Turkish individuals' online shopping adoption: An empirical study on regional difference

E-commerce is a result of the most recent technological advancements which has liberated trade on a global scale and further facilitated the communication of information. The purpose of this study is to research the differences in the usage of e-commerce among individuals living in regions of different levels of development in Türkiye and to determine the relationship between demographic, economic and personal characteristics and the e-commerce usage of individuals. In this study, the micro data set obtained from the Household Information Technologies Use Survey was used. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors related to the e-commerce usage of individuals. As a result of the study, it was detected that the variables; education level, level of income, age, gender, occupation, social media use, engagement in information search about products and services online, engagement in selling products or services online, use of online banking, and e-government use are related to e-commerce usage. The study found that the variables affecting e-commerce usage differ by region. It is necessary to expand the internet by improving the information and communication technology infrastructure in low development regions to facilitate the development the use of e-commerce in these regions. Therefore, when looking for information on e-commerce, relevant regional initiatives should be considered. In developing countries, expanding e-commerce to low development areas requires more than just facilitating access to the internet.

Passive smoking as a risk factor among older adults: an ordered probability approach for Türkiye

Background/aim

Older adults represent a significant proportion of the population of many societies, and being one of the disadvantaged groups, they struggle with various difficulties in their social lives. Undoubtedly, passive smoking is one of these difficulties. Passive smoking among older adults, which is an important public health problem, is an issue that needs to be investigated. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of adults aged 60 and older in Türkiye and their exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS).

Methods

In this study, a microdata set of the 2016 and 2019 Turkey Health Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) was used. This survey was conducted by TUIK in the relevant years using a stratified sampling method to best represent the whole of Turkey. The study considered only demographic and socio-economic characteristics to investigate passive smoking. Since all the variables used in the study were categorical, the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables was first investigated using chi-square tests. In addition, since the dependent variable has an ordered-categorical probability form, the generalized ordinal logit model was used for the analysis of passive smoking and related factors.

Results

The rate of exposure to tobacco smoke of older adults who participated in the study in 2016 was 16%, while the rate of those who participated in the study in 2019 was 21%.

Conclusion

According to the findings of the study, older, uneducated, and uninsured smokers carry a more serious SHS risk. It may be beneficial for society for policy makers to carry out studies by considering these features a priority and focusing on policies in this context. Expanding smoke-free areas to cover older adult, increasing penalties as a deterrent, facilitating education, increasing state support for education, increasing education and public service announcements about tobacco harms, and facilitating social security are the main examples. This study's findings are crucial as a source of information for the development of policies and programs aimed at preventing the exposure of older adults to tobacco smoke.

Determinants of intimate partner controlling behavior targeting women in Türkiye

Background/aim

Intimate partner controlling behavior toward women is an important form of intimate partner violence (IPV), both in terms of limiting women's daily lives and in terms of reproducing patriarchal culture and male dominance in societies at the micro level. A limited number of studies in the literature have identified the male intimate partner's controlling behavior as a dependent variable, which is important for understanding the determinants of this type of IPV. There is also a significant gap in the literature in terms of studies focusing on the case of Türkiye. Thus, the main aim of this study was to determine the socio-demographic, economic and violence-related factors that have an effect on women's status in terms of exposure to control behavior in Türkiye.

Methods

These factors were examined by using binary logistic regression analysis, based on the micro data set collected by the Hacettepe University's Institute of Population Studies in the 2014-dated National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Türkiye. A total of 7,462 women between the ages of 15 and 59 were interviewed face-to-face.

Results

The findings of the study revealed that women are more likely to be exposed to controlling behavior if they live in rural areas, are unmarried, speak Turkish as their mother tongue, have bad or very bad health conditions, justify men's violence and are afraid of their intimate partners. As women's age, level of education and income contribution increase, their likelihood of exposure to controlling behavior decreases. However, women's exposure to economic, physical and emotional violence also increases their likelihood of exposure to controlling behavior.

Conclusion

The findings highlighted the importance of creating public policies that make women less vulnerable to men's controlling behavior, providing women with methods and mechanisms of resistance and raising public awareness of the exacerbating effects of controlling behavior on social inequalities.

Obstetric violence in southwestern Turkey: Risk factors and its relationship to postpartum depression

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between violence, risk factors, and depression at the end of pregnancy. The sample of this descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 426 women for normal postpartum monitoring during the six-month period and living in southwestern Turkey of the study. About 5.6% of the women who participated in the study were exposed to obstetric violence. 5.2% of them were intimate partner violence before pregnancy. 79.1% (n = 24), 29.1%, and 25% of them were subjected to physical, sexual, and economic violence, respectively. In addition, 7.5% of women were exposed to verbal obstetric violence. It was found that the postpartum depression scores of the women who had been subjected to violence from their husbands before pregnancy were high.

The Impact of Poverty on Partner Violence Against Women Under Regional Effects: The Case of Turkey

Violence against women has been the subject of scientific literature in many fields and poverty has been one of the most important companions in this field. It can be found lots of empirical studies about violence against women for countries as Turkey too. However, regional considerations relating to people's socioeconomic condition have not been considered in these investigations although it has been indicated that these factors are important in terms of violence against women. Therefore, the main motivation of this study to investigate the impact of poverty on partner violence against women under the regional impacts in Turkey. The multinomial logit analysis preferred since the violence against women considered under three groups which are physical, sexual violence, and never experienced. The dataset received from the Survey on Domestic Violence Against Women in Turkey which was performed by Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT). This survey is performed in both 2008 and 2014 years. For this study, the 2008 data is chosen as it carries the information of "having a green card" which is a formal demonstration of being poor. Also, NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) regions for Turkey are considered during the analysis. Based on the general results, the poverty status and regional effects of women, showed quite different results in terms of physical and sexual violence types. The poverty has a positive effect only on physical violence, not on sexual violence. Further, all regions have an important role on physical violence, while only less developed regions have a dominant impact on sexual violence. Also, the findings show that the intimate partners' bad habits make women more vulnerable to violence. According to the results, it can be suggested that developing policies based on regional effects and types of violence would be more effective.

Prevalence and predictors of psychological assistance services for older individuals in Turkish society

Background/aim

Due to the high contribution of psychological problems to the decline in the comfortable lifestyle of the older individuals, determining the factors that affect individuals' receiving psychological services and searching for solutions based on these factors is one of the primary concerns of national and international decision-makers. This study aimed to identify the factors that affect older individuals' access to psychological assistance services in Turkey.

Methods

In this study, the Turkish Health Research micro dataset, which was conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) in 2016 and 2019, was employed. In this dataset, the data of 7,252 older individuals were analyzed. Using binary logistic analysis, the factors that are effective for obtaining psychological assistance for the older individuals were identified.

Results

According to the results of the analysis, factors such as gender, education, general health status, disease status, payment of health expenditures, and body mass index affected older individuals who received psychological assistance.

Conclusion

In recent years, there has been a rise in the availability of psychological assistance services for the older individuals. By identifying factors that increase the likelihood of receiving psychological assistance services, this study is expected to contribute to the creation and regulation of psychological assistance services to prevent possible psychological problems that may occur in old age, minimize the problems experienced by individuals, and promote a more comfortable lifestyle.

Verbal and psychological violence against women in Turkey and its determinants

Verbal and psychological violence against women is considered an important sociological and legal problem and a serious threat within the context of basic human rights. The aim of this study was to detect the factors affecting verbal and psychological violence against women in Turkey, a developing country. The micro data set of the National research on domestic violence against women in Turkey, which was conducted by the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, was employed in this study. The factors affecting women's exposure to verbal and psychological violence by their husbands or partners in Turkey were determined using binary logistic and binary probit regression analyses. Women whose husbands or partners cheated and used alcohol were more exposed to verbal and psychological violence compared to others. In addition, women who were exposed to physical, economic, and sexual violence were more exposed to verbal and psychological violence compared to others. Exposure to violence by first-degree relatives increases the possibility of exposure to verbal and psychological violence. More effective results can be achieved by prioritizing women likelier to be exposed to violence in policies aimed at preventing acts of verbal violence against women in our country. There are few studies on verbal and psychological violence against women. Therefore, it will be useful to conduct relevant studies from different perspectives.

Determinants of Turkish households' out-of-pocket expenditures on three categories of health care services: A multivariate probit approach

This study identifies the driving forces that contribute to the probabilities of incidence of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures by households in Turkey. Factors affecting the probability of OOP expenditures on medical products/devices/supplies (MP), outpatient services (OTS), and inpatient services (ITS) are examined using the Household Budget Survey data gathered by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2018. The study applies the multivariate probit model. The incidence of OOP spending varied with 48.9% of the households reporting OOP expenditure on MP, 22.4% on OTS, and 25.4% on ITS. The largest probability changes were associated with household disposable annual income, household type and size, age category, and having private health insurance. Gender and marital status also influenced expenditures in some categories. Lifestyle choices had small and mixed effects, with smoking and alcohol consumption lowering the probability of OOP spending. From a policy standpoint, households with the lowest incomes, large households, and those where the household head was 'others' (retiree, student, housewife, not actively working, etc.) or had a condition preventing employment seemed to report OOP expenditures less frequently and may have chosen not to receive healthcare services, leading to the need for more healthcare services later.

Psychometric properties of Haj-Yahia's questionnaire of violence against women in a sample of married women in Tehran, Iran

Background

Abuse against women causes great suffering for the victims and is an important health problem among women. To date, a few screening instruments for wife abuse exist for married women in Iran, but they only assess some of the wife abuse components. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Haj-Yahia’s Questionnaire in a sample of married women residing in Tehran.

Materials and methods

This is a cross-sectional study with a population consisting of married women in Tehran, among which 471 individuals were selected using convenience sampling method. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated using face validity, content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and stability. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using the weighted least square mean and variance adjusted. We performed confirmatory factor analysis using Mplus version 8 software and for other calculations, we used STATA V14.

Results

The quantitative results of face validity and content validity indicated that all items of the questionnaire were in acceptable range, and were retained in the study. In CFA results, the model fit indices were acceptable (TLI = 0.986, CFI = 0.987, RMSEA = 0.039 and SRMR = 0.057). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and economic abuse were estimated 0.90, 0.93, 0.79, and 0.78 respectively, and an alpha of 0.95 was found for the total questionnaire. The intra-cluster correlation index was 0.98.

Conclusions

Findings showed that the Persian version of the questionnaire of violence against women made it possible to evaluate various dimensions of violence using 4 factors and showed good construct validity and internal reliability in the female population in Iran; therefore, it can be used in future studies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12831-8.

Determination of the factors affecting sexual violence against women in Turkey: a population-based analysis

Background

Sexual violence is one of the most investigated types of violence by national and international decision makers. The purpose of this study was to detect the factors that affect sexual violence against women in Turkey.

Methods

In this study, a cross-sectional data set was employed from the survey titled the National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey, which was conducted by the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies. Binary logistic and probit regression analyses were used to determine the factors influential in women’s exposure to sexual violence.

Results

The findings obtained from the analyses indicated that women’s exposure to sexual violence was influenced by a variety of factors including region, age, level of education, employment status, health condition, marital status, number of children as well as exposure to physical, economic, and verbal abuse. In addition, it was determined that the level of education, employment status, drug use, infidelity and other variables related to the husband/partner of the women who participated in the survey affected the women’s exposure to sexual violence.

Conclusion

There remains a higher probability of exposure to sexual violence among women residing in rural and less developed regions. A decrease in the women’s level of education increased their probability of exposure to sexual violence. An increase in the women's age and an increase in the level of education of the women’s husbands/partners lowered the probability of their exposure to sexual violence. There was a higher probability of exposure to sexual violence among women who had experienced physical, economic, and verbal abuse.