Prevalence and Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Pregnant Women in a Rural Hospital in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria


Authors : Hyness Awoye-Godspower; Ishmael Daniel Jaja

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 12 - December

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/jar5345n

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yu7vy3r9

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14651168

Abstract : Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated during pregnancy exposes not only the woman, but also her unborn baby to adverse pregnancy outcomes and poses a great threat to achieving targets one and two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. Previous studies investigating IPV during pregnancy were done in urban setting. This study set out to evaluate the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy and its associated risk factors in a rural hospital in Rivers State, South- south Nigeria.  Methodology This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March 2024 and August 2024, involving 216 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic at the General Hospital Okrika, Rivers State Nigeria. Consecutive sampling method was employed, and a structured questionnaire, adopting the Woman Abuse screening Tool (WAST) was used to obtain abuse information from the respondents after obtaining consent. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 for windows. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. Multivariate analysis model was done using unconditional binary logistic regression. Odds ratios were determined at the 95 % level.  Results Out of the 216 pregnant women who participated in this study, thirty (13.9 %) experienced at least one of the three forms of IPV in the index pregnancy. Physical violence was the most prevalent form of IPV, 22 (10.2%). The prevalence of sexual and psychological violence was 13 (6.0%) and 18 (8.3%) respectively. The educational status of the woman (OR=5.161; 95% CI: 1.409-18.908; p- value 0.013) and social habit of husband (OR=3.840; 95% CI: 1.28-11.515; p-value 0.016) were significantly associated with Physical IPV. Only the social habit of the husband had association with sexual IPV in this study (OR=6.311; 95% CI: 1.310-30.409; p-value 0.022).  Conclusion The educational status of the woman and social habit of the husband were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy in this study. Education of the girl- child, implementation of violence against persons prohibition law as well as gender equality as stipulated by the United Nations SDG 5 will bring this menace to its barest minimum.

Keywords : Pregnancy, Violence, Intimate Partner, Rural, South-South, Nigeria.

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Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated during pregnancy exposes not only the woman, but also her unborn baby to adverse pregnancy outcomes and poses a great threat to achieving targets one and two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. Previous studies investigating IPV during pregnancy were done in urban setting. This study set out to evaluate the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy and its associated risk factors in a rural hospital in Rivers State, South- south Nigeria.  Methodology This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March 2024 and August 2024, involving 216 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic at the General Hospital Okrika, Rivers State Nigeria. Consecutive sampling method was employed, and a structured questionnaire, adopting the Woman Abuse screening Tool (WAST) was used to obtain abuse information from the respondents after obtaining consent. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 for windows. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. Multivariate analysis model was done using unconditional binary logistic regression. Odds ratios were determined at the 95 % level.  Results Out of the 216 pregnant women who participated in this study, thirty (13.9 %) experienced at least one of the three forms of IPV in the index pregnancy. Physical violence was the most prevalent form of IPV, 22 (10.2%). The prevalence of sexual and psychological violence was 13 (6.0%) and 18 (8.3%) respectively. The educational status of the woman (OR=5.161; 95% CI: 1.409-18.908; p- value 0.013) and social habit of husband (OR=3.840; 95% CI: 1.28-11.515; p-value 0.016) were significantly associated with Physical IPV. Only the social habit of the husband had association with sexual IPV in this study (OR=6.311; 95% CI: 1.310-30.409; p-value 0.022).  Conclusion The educational status of the woman and social habit of the husband were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy in this study. Education of the girl- child, implementation of violence against persons prohibition law as well as gender equality as stipulated by the United Nations SDG 5 will bring this menace to its barest minimum.

Keywords : Pregnancy, Violence, Intimate Partner, Rural, South-South, Nigeria.

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