Intimate Partner Violence and Empowerment among Women in Tanzania: Prevalence and Effect on Utilization of Reproductive and Maternal Health Services (original) (raw)
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Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal
Background and Objectives:Sub Saharan Africa region is considered as one of the deprived regions of this world and women from this part of the world are suffering from intimate partner violence. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of intimate partner violence on utilization of antenatal care services among the ever married women.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The data used in this research was extracted from the Tanzania Demographic Health Survey 2015-16. A total of 13, 266 women were interviewed.Results:The mean age of the respondents is 28.69 years. About 74% women visited antenatal care services more than 4 times. Logistic regression results indicate that the middle-aged adult women (35-49 years age group) were identified having lower odds (Odds ratio: 0.807, 95% CI: 0.693-0.940, P<0.001) than women in younger age group. Women who did not complete their secondary education were less likelihood to experience IPV (Odds ratio:...
BMC Public Health, 2017
Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognised as an important public health and social problem, with far reaching consequences for women's physical and emotional health and social well-being. Furthermore, controlling behaviour by a partner has a similar impact on women's well-being, yet little is known about the prevalence of this type of behaviour and other related abuses in Tanzania and in other sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the lifetime and past 12-month prevalence of physical and sexual IPV, economic abuse, emotional abuse and controlling behaviour among ever-partnered women in Mwanza, Tanzania. Women (N = 1049) were enrolled in an ongoing trial (Maisha study) to assess the impact of microfinance combined with gender training on participants' experience IPV, and other related outcomes. Interviews were conducted by same sex interviewers to collect information about socio-demographic characteristics, experiences of specific acts of IPV and abuse, and symptoms of poor mental health status. Results: Overall, about 61% of women reported ever experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV (95% CI: 58-64%) and 27% (95% CI: 24-29%) experienced it in the past 12 months. Partner controlling behaviour was the most prevalent type of abuse with 82% experiencing it in their lifetime and 63% during the past 12 months. Other types of abuses were also common, with 34% of women reporting economic abuse and 39% reporting emotional abuse during the past 12 months. The prevalence of IPV and abuses varied by socio-demographic characteristics, showing much higher prevalence rates among younger women, women with young partners and less educated women. After we adjusted for age and socioeconomic status, physical violence (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.7) and sexual violence (OR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.9-4.1) were associated with increased reporting of symptoms of poor mental health. Similarly, experience of abuse during the past 12 months was associated with increased reporting of symptoms of poor mental health. Conclusions: The high prevalence of IPV and abuses and its strong links with symptoms of poor mental health underline the urgent need for developing and testing appropriate interventions in settings like Tanzania to tackle both violence and abusive behaviours among intimate partners.
PloS one, 2016
Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy and postpartum is a serious global health problem affecting millions of women worldwide. This study sought to determine the prevalence of different forms of IPV during pregnancy and postpartum and associated factors among women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 500 women at one to nine months postpartum in three health facilities in the three districts of Dar es Salaam: Temeke, Kinondoni and Illala. Two trained research assistants administered the questionnaire, which aimed to examine sociodemographic characteristics and different forms of IPV. Of the 500 women who were interviewed, 18.8% experienced some physical and/or sexual violence during pregnancy. Forty-one women (9%) reported having experienced some physical and/or sexual violence at one to nine months postpartum. Physical and/or sexual IPV during pregnancy was associated with cohabiting (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.24-4.03) and having a partner who ...
2013
Background: There is dearth of knowledge and research about the role of empowerment, partners' behaviours and intimate partner physical violence (IPPV) among married women in Uganda. This paper examined the influence of women's empowerment and partners' behaviours on IPPV among married women in Uganda. Methods: The 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data were used, selecting a weighted sample of 1,307 women in union considered for the domestic violence module. Cross tabulations (chi-square tests) and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with IPPV. Results: The prevalence of IPPV among women in union in Uganda is still high (41%). Women's occupation was the only measure of empowerment that was significantly associated with IPPV, where women in professional employment were less likely to experience IPPV. Women from wealthy households were less likely to experience IPPV. IPPV was more likely to be reported by women who had ever had children and witnessed parental IPPV. IPPV was also more likely to be reported by women whose husbands or partners: accused them of unfaithfulness, did not permit them to meet female friends, insisted on knowing their whereabouts and sometimes or often got drunk. Women who were afraid their partners were also more likely to report IPPV. Conclusion: In the Ugandan context, women's empowerment as assessed by the UDHS has limited mitigating effect on IPPV in the face of partners' negative behaviours and history of witnessing parental violence.
Tanzania Journal of Development Studies, 2019
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an urgent public problem that is neglected in women's health, especially in urban slums in Tanzania and worldwide. This study seeks to investigate factors associated with IPV in a sample of women aged 15-49 years living in urban informal settlements of Iringa municipality, Tanzania. This was a cross-sectional study that used a survey to collect data from 300 women living in informal settlements of Iringa. The study findings showed that there is a prevalence of IPV among women living in informal settlements, and the most abused women were young women. Moreover, married women were found to be more abused compared to others. Additionally, incomplete primary school education, being a businessperson, customary marriage: these were associated with IPV incidences in many times compared to other groups of participants. 'Threatened to be divorced' was the most experienced sexual abuse among women. 'Being a civil servant' was associated with being abused emotionally among women. From the study findings, there should be a program promoting awareness of IPV and steps to be taken when faced with the situation. Health policy-makers should also plan for possible interventions on the prevention of IPV, including the provision of education on impacts of IPV and measures to be taken in cases of IPV incidences.
African Journal of Economic Review, 2021
The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against ever married women in Tanzania remains high. This has an implication on development at both micro and macro level given the resulting socioeconomic costs relating to IPV. It is for this reason that the present study intended to examine determinants of IPV among married women in Tanzania. Determinants are estimated by analysing the 2015/16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) data using logistic regression. Results show that risk factors which are positively associating with IPV include male partner alcohol abuse, history of domestic violence in childhood, years in marriage, polygamy marriage and household size. Meanwhile, deterrent factors comprise of the age of married women and male partner's education. Furthermore, results indicate varied determinants of different forms of IPV across different zone in Tanzania. It is against this backdrop that we recommend for policies that ensure both women and men have equal access to quality education; amendments of relevant laws as well as raising IPV awareness using zone-specific determinants to discourage cultural norms that condone IPV.
Background: There is dearth of knowledge and research about the role of empowerment, partners' behaviours and intimate partner physical violence (IPPV) among married women in Uganda. This paper examined the influence of women's empowerment and partners' behaviours on IPPV among married women in Uganda. Methods: The 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data were used, selecting a weighted sample of 1,307 women in union considered for the domestic violence module. Cross tabulations (chi-square tests) and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with IPPV.
Induced abortion, pregnancy loss and intimate partner violence in Tanzania: a population based study
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2012
Background: Violence by an intimate partner is increasingly recognized as an important public and reproductive health issue. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence is associated with induced abortion and pregnancy loss from other causes and to compare this with other, more commonly recognized explanatory factors. Methods: This study analyzes the data of the Tanzania section of the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence, a large population-based cross-sectional survey of women of reproductive age in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, Tanzania, conducted from 2001 to 2002. All women who answered positively to at least one of the questions about specific acts of physical or sexual violence committed by a partner towards her at any point in her life were considered to have experienced intimate partner violence. Associations between self reported induced abortion and pregnancy loss with intimate partner violence were analysed using multiple regression models. Results: Lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence was reported by 41% and 56% of ever partnered, ever pregnant women in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya respectively. Among the ever pregnant, ever partnered women, 23% experienced involuntary pregnancy loss, while 7% reported induced abortion. Even after adjusting for other explanatory factors, women who experienced intimate partner violence were 1.6 (95%CI: 1.06,1.60) times more likely to report an pregnancy loss and 1.9 (95%CI: 1.30,2.89) times more likely to report an induced abortion. Intimate partner violence had a stronger influence on induced abortion and pregnancy loss than women's age, socio-economic status, and number of live born children. Conclusions: Intimate partner violence is likely to be an important influence on levels of induced abortion and pregnancy loss in Tanzania. Preventing intimate partner violence may therefore be beneficial for maternal health and pregnancy outcomes.
Emerging Themes in Epidemiology
Background Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional construct which varies by context. These variations make it challenging to have a concrete definition that can be measured quantitatively. Having a standard composite measure of empowerment at the individual and country level would help to assess how countries are progressing in efforts to achieve gender equality (SDG 5), enable standardization across and within settings and guide the formulation of policies and interventions. The aim of this study was to develop a women’s empowerment index for Tanzania and to assess its evolution across three demographic and health surveys from 2004 to 2016. Results Women’s empowerment in Tanzania was categorized into six distinct domains namely; attitudes towards violence, decision making, social independence, age at critical life events, access to healthcare, and property ownership. The internal reliability of this six-domain model was shown to be acceptable by a Cronbach’s α value of 0.658. Th...