Domestic violence against women in Shiraz, South-western Iran

Geographic pattern of the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Zanjan (Iran)

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a serious public health issue and refers to physically, sexually and psychologically harmful behaviors as well as emotionally controlling behaviors and financial abuse that occur in the form of marriage or cohabitation. Knowing the current situation of the IPV prevalence against women and high-risk areas in the Zanjan city, Iran, can help policymakers to establish better health programs for risk reduction.

Methods

This population-based cross-sectional study consisted of married women aged 18-55 years living in Zanjan city in 2021. 760 married women covered by 19 urban comprehensive health service centers (UCHSCs) were selected by the stratified systematic random sampling method. The prevalence of IPV against women was measured in four types: psychological, physical, sexual, and economic.

Results

Mean (SD) age of the women was 35.49 (8.76) years. 606 women (79.7%) experienced one type of IPV. The highest and lowest IPV prevalence against women were psychological (76.6%) and economic (12%), respectively. The highest and lowest prevalence of psychological violence were observed in CUHSCs 2 and 17, physical violence in CUHSCs 1 and 14, sexual violence in CUHSCs 2 and 17, and economic violence in CUHSCs 2 and 8, respectively. The severity of violence was higher among self-employment or workers husbands, with low monthly household income, and among younger women.

Discussion

The IPV rate in the target population is high, and the highest rate is related to psychological violence. These results highlight the need to intervention in the society and high-risk women for policymakers of the health system.

Investigating the relationship between socioeconomic status and domestic violence against women in Isfahan, Iran in 2021: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

Domestic violence can include controlling or coercive behaviors and acts, as well as physical, sexual, psychological, and financial elements. Given the significance of domestic violence against women and its complications, this study looked into the relationship between socioeconomic status and domestic violence against women in Isfahan in 2019.

Methods

In 2021, a cross-sectional study of 427 married women referred to comprehensive health centers in Isfahan, Iran, was carried out. The available sampling method was chosen. To collect data, a domestic violence questionnaire and a socioeconomic status index were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Latent GOLD software.

Results

The average age of the women in this study was 33.21, 37% worked, and 63 were housewives. Based on Latent class analysis method, women were classified into two groups of high or low socioeconomic status class. The findings revealed a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and different types of violence against women, including light physical violence, emotional violence, verbal violence, and sexual violence (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and domestic violence against women in Isfahan, with women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds being more vulnerable to violence. Given the prevalence of violence against women in the family and its consequences, policy makers should look for the causes of this type of violence as well as solutions to reduce this health and social problem. Factors such as the expansion of counseling and treatment centers in health care facilities, as well as education and life skills training, are particularly important in reducing this phenomenon in society.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy in COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study from South-west of Iran

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women can cause several complications for the mother and her baby, which are life-threatening. Thus, we aimed to find the prevalence of IPV and its associated factors in pregnant women in Shiraz, Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant mothers in Shiraz between July 2020 and January 2021. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: demographic data, socio-economic status (SES), obstetric and medical history, and questions about IPV. Univariate analysis was performed using Chi-square, McNemar, or Fisher's exact test, and variables with p-value < 0.20 were included in Logistic regression. The odds ratio and CI 95% for variables with p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of IPV was 93.1% among 830 pregnant women in Shiraz. Psychological violence was the most prevalent type (92.9%), followed by sexual (11%) and physical (7.7%) violence. High SES (OR = 3.21, (CI:1.61-6.41)) was the only risk factor for overall violence, and the age group, 30-34, was a risk factor for physical violence. Mother-desired pregnancy (OR = 26 (Cl:0.09-0.79)) and father-desired pregnancy (OR = 0.91, (CI:0.22-3.80)) were protective factors against physical and sexual violence, respectively. Furthermore, Psychological violence and sexual violence increased during COVID-19 Pandemic (P.value < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

According to the obtained results, the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy in Shiraz was very concerning, especially psychological violence. Improving conflict-solving skills among family members and addressing economic problems could be considered by health policymakers when designing interventional programs and policies to reduce IPV during pregnancy.

The relationship between aggressive behaviors of preschool children and the violence against Iranian women in the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

During epidemics, supports are limited and individual and collective vulnerabilities as well as domestic violence are increased. Therefore, various groups in society, especially children and their mothers, are extremely vulnerable. This study aimed to assess the relationship between aggressive behaviors of preschool children and the violence against Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in October-November 2020. Stratified random sampling was performed among preschool children in Kerman. Data were collected using the Violence toward Women Inventory and the Aggression scale for preschoolers Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS25, ANOVA, independent t-test, and Pearson correlation test.

RESULTS

The results showed that the total mean scores of violence against women and preschoolers' aggression were 54.43 ± 10.6 and 88.44 ± 6.5, respectively. The results showed a statistically significant difference in aggressive behaviors of preschool children, mother's job, number of children, mother's education, income, and age. A positive and significant relationship was also found between the subscales of violence against women and aggression in preschool children.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed a positive and significant relationship between violence against women and aggression of preschool children. Therefore, it is recommended that parents identify and eliminate the risk factors for domestic violence during the COVID-19 in order to protect their children. Parents also must learn coping strategies for stress and resilience in the epidemic crises.

Comparison of associated factors of domestic violence against women by their husbands based on demographic characteristics and life skills in Iran

BACKGROUND

In recent decades, the prevention of domestic violence against women (DVAW) has been considered a priority for women's health in many countries. Identifying factors related to DVAW by their husbands or intimate partner can promise prevention and decrease in prevalence. The objective of this study was to examine and compare associated factors of domestic violence based on demographic characteristics and some life skills.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Abadan, Iran. 640 couples completed questionnaires including demographic characteristics, communication skills, anger management, and problem-solving skill. In addition, women completed the questionnaire on domestic violence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (t-test and one-way analysis of variance) and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

Approximately 57% of the women in this study have been subjected to psychological violence in their lifetime by their husbands. The result of multiple regression indicated that demographic characteristics had a very small contribution to explaining domestic violence (R ²= 0.03) and only the education level of women was identified as a key predictor of domestic violence. The result of multiple regression based on life skills among couples demonstrated that communication skills and anger management of couples were inversely and significantly associated with domestic violence and these variables explained 51% of the variance in domestic violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Empowering couples with anger management and communication skills can play an important role in decreasing domestic violence. Therefore, developing and planning educational interventions by policymakers and health care providers seems necessary for couples.

Prevalence and related factors of intimate partner violence among married women in Garmsar, Iran

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of domestic violence often used by men against their wives. Due to the destructive and widespread social and health consequences of IPV, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and related factors of IPV among married women in Garmsar, Iran.

METHODS

Using multi-stage clusters sampling method, this cross-sectional study included 400 married women in Garmsar, Iran. The data collection process was conducted during October and December 2019 using a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) indicators (0.85 and 0.88, respectively). Also, the reliability was confirmed by examining the internal consistency and obtaining a score of 0.93 for Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey's post-hoc test.

RESULTS

Most participants were in the age range of 20-40 years (mean age: 34.9 years). The overall exposure of women to IPV was 56.11%. In addition, the most prevalent types of IPV included legal (24%), social (24%), financial (22%), verbal (16%), physical (13%), emotional (12%), and sexual (11%). The effective factors on the prevalence of IPV included number of children, education level, occupation, and age (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We witnessed that women living in Garmsar faced different types of IPV and their overall exposure to this phenomenon was higher than the national and global average. To resolve the problem, the following measurements are recommended: a careful investigation of the reasons for the spread of IPV, implementing interventions based on reliable evidence, and serious cooperation of the experts and relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions, particularly citizens.

HIV serostatus disclosure to sexual partner: a survey among women in Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND

Disclosure of HIV-positive status in women is associated with many factors. Consequently, status disclosure remains a challenge for Iranian women living with HIV. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, related factors, and reflections of HIV-positive status disclosure to a sexual partner(s) among Iranian women living with HIV.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 HIV-seropositive women. Participants were selected from patients registered in the largest HIV clinic and HIV-positive club of Iran. The "HIV disclosure" questionnaire had 38-items and all the interviews were administered by the researcher. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 software. We used a logistic regression method to calculate the crude odds ratio (COR) and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for self-disclosure as the independent predictor variable and the dependent variable, respectively.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy HIV-positive women were enrolled. Most of them had disclosed their HIV status to at least one person (94.1%) and their sexual partners (86.5%). In the univariate analysis, being married (COR = 18.66, 95% CI 5.63-61.87), living with a sexual partner (COR = 4.72, 95% CI 1.92-11.62), being aware of sexual partners' HIV status (COR = 6.20, 95% CI 1.79-21.49), and gaining the support of sexual partner (COR = 9.08, 95% CI 3.48-23.64) were associated with higher odds of HIV status disclosure. In the multivariate analysis, being aware of sexual partners' HIV status, and gaining the support of sexual partners remained associated with HIV status disclosure. Most women reported a positive reflection from their sexual partners after disclosure, however, negative reflections from society were more common compared to sexual partners and family members.

CONCLUSION

This study shows high overall HIV disclosure proportions. It should be noted that a large number of women were infected by their sexual partners, especially by their spouses. The high rate of transmission in married people indicates an urgent need for more emphasis on appropriate prevention behaviors by infected partners.

Prevalence and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence among Women Attending Different Primary Health Centers in Aljouf Region, Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and widespread problem worldwide. IPV can seriously influence the physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health of women as well as the welfare of their children. In the Middle East, IPV is pervasive and widely acceptable. The present study was done to determine the prevalence and correlates of IPV among women attending different primary health centers in the Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 Saudi women attending different primary health centers in the Aljouf region, Saudi Arabia. A structured anonymous questionnaire was distributed to the targeted population during a face-to-face interview. Data analysis was done using the SPSS program, version 24. Results: The present study showed that 30.3% of the participants had been exposed to IPV over the last year. Concerning the types of violence, the present study revealed that emotional violence is the highest followed by physical and then sexual violence representing 92.6%, 67.2%, and 44.3%, respectively. The significant predictors of IPV were women with one to three children (OR = 7.322, p-value = 0.006), women with four children or more (OR = 13.463, p-value = 0.006), and women married to husbands with aggressive behavior (OR = 98.703, p-value < 0.001). Not taking the approval on marriage was significantly associated with more exposure to violence (OR = 3.190, p-value = 0.042). In addition, husband smoking status was a significant predictor for IPV (OR = 2.774, p-value = 0.012). However, women married to alcoholic drinkers had a significantly lower risk for exposure to IPV (OR = 0.108, p-value = 0.040). On the other hand, women’s age, marital status, women’s educational level, monthly income in RS, perception of income sufficiency, marriage duration, the age difference between women and their husband, and drug abuse status of the husband were not significant predictors of IPV (p-value ≥ 0.05). Sociocultural effects were the most frequent reason for IPV as reported by the participants (57.4%). The most common consequences of IPV were psychological problems (75.4%) and injuries (42.6%). Women’s reactions to IPV were leaving home (32.8%) or no reaction (36.8%) to retain their marriage. Conclusions: IPV remains an important public health problem among married women in this study area. Urgent interventions including educational and screening programs for Saudi women are required to mitigate the problem.

Violence and sociodemographic related factors among a sample of Egyptian women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Violence against women is a worldwide problem that affects different social and economic classes, and this violence has almost increased with pandemics as the COVID-19 pandemic. The present survey aimed to assess the prevalence of violence against women in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the relationship between sociodemographic factors and violence exposure. A total of 509 women were recruited using a self-completion e-form questionnaire.

Results

The prevalence of violence experienced by women was (43.8%); the most common type was the emotional representing (96.0%) of exposed women, while sexual violence was the least common (13.5%). Violence exposure was affected significantly by residence governorates, husbands' working status, reduced husbands' working hours, and history of violence exposure.

Conclusions

Violence against women in Egypt was increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, which raises the need for a strong and urgent anti-violence program to control this problem.

Intimate partner violence constrains timely utilisation of antenatal care services among Armenian women: Results from a nationally representative sample

Background:

Well-timed utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services during pregnancy emphatically impact pregnancy outcomes. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) predominance during pregnancy is exceptionally noticeable in Armenia, yet we have restricted information on the association between IPV and ANC attendance. The aim of this study was to determine the association between IPV and utilisation of adequate ANC services among Armenian women.

Methods:

A nationally representative sample survey from 2015 to 2016 Armenia Demographic and Health Survey was considered for this study. A total of 6116 women were interviewed. To estimate the association between outcome and explanatory variable, Pearson's Chi-square test followed by bivariate logistic regression analysis were performed.

Results:

About 58% of participants, more than 35 years old has encountered IPV. Women with advanced education (54.7%) attended ANC services between 0 and 3 months. It was found that only the richer women are two times more likely to visit ANC services above four times than other groups and its association with IPV claimed that richer women are more likely to face IPV. Moreover, women who are residing with alcoholic husbands/partners are two times more likely to suffer from partner abuse (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The impact of IPV on accessibility and timely utilisation of ANC services in Armenia cannot be overlooked as IPV is causing risk in healthy delivery and the country's overall productivity in a broader perception.