Background: Though underestimated, intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Ethiopia is among the highest in the world. The overall aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and forms of intimate partner violence during pregnancy, associated factors, and recommendations to reduce the act. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 25 to February 15, 2018 in government health facilities, North West Ethiopia. Married women who seek antenatal care service were participated in the study. Ethical clearance and approval was obtained from Amhara Regional Health Bureau research and publication committee. Informed consent was obtained from women and facility managers before collecting the data. Odds ratio (OR) with 95%CI was computed to determine the presence and strength of association between the outcome of interest and key independent variables. Results: Nearly half (46.4%) of the study participants were victims of at least one episodes of intimate partner violence in the recent pregnancy. Psychological violence 141 (44.2%) was the most common form of violence encountered followed by sexual violence 137 (42.9%). Significant proportion of women were insulted, forced to have sex, pushed/shoved, kicked/beaten, and slapped/thrown something at them (30.1 - 39.4 %) in the recent pregnancy. Lack of formal education, arranged marriages, lack of decision-making autonomy in household matters and wider spousal age difference were significantly associated with intimate partner violence. Conclusions: Higher proportion of pregnant women experienced intimate partner violence. Sociodemographic factors were associated with intimate partner violence. We suggest interventions focusing on education for raising community awareness through different strategies. Strengthening health facilities is also important to early identify and manage pregnant women with intimate partner violence, and prevent adverse birth outcomes of the act.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.