Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is reported to be a public health issue given its magnitude and long-lasting consequences. Men are generally thought to be perpetrators of IPV, but they can also be victims. In Rwanda, the experience of men as victims has not yet been described and characterized. The aim of this study is to examine the trends and correlates of IPV victimization for men and women in Rwanda. Methods The data for this study were extracted from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) in 2014/15 (female: n = 8292, male: n = 3470) and 2019/2020 (female = 8574, male: n = 3590). The survey had used a structured measure of IPV (i.e. physical, sexual, or emotional) and its related demographic characteristics to collect data in a nationally representative sample of ever-married women aged 15–49 years and men aged 15–59 years. Multiple logistic regression was applied to examine the association between demographic characteristics and IPV in both women and men. Result The prevalence of IPV among women increased from 40% in 2015 to 46% in 2020, while it decreased from 21 to 18% in men during the same time period. The associated factors for women IPV victimization in 2015 were: uneducated husband (Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) = 5.570, 95% CI 1.29–24.02), woman from the poorest household (AOR = 2.834, 95% CI 1.9–93.12), husband aged from 30 to 39 years (AOR = 2.797, 95% CI 1.517–5.158), husband consuming alcohol (AOR = 3.021, 95% CI 1.517–5.158); women involved in decisions about their own earnings (AOR = 0.576, 95% CI 0.37–0.88); and purchases (AOR = 0.472, 95% CI 0.27–0.82). However, the factors such as uneducated husbands (AOR = 3.032, 95% CI 1.117–8.24); husbands consuming alcohol (AOR = 1.712, 95% CI 2.408–4.486); a woman's involvement in decisions on her personal health (AOR = 0.443, 95% CI 0.30–0.63) and visits from her family or relatives (AOR = 0.405, 95% = 0.41–0.22) were factors of IPV in 2020. On the other hand, the associated factors for men IPV victimization in 2015 were being from richer wealth index (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.04–1.04), frequency of being hit in last 12 months by other than partner (AOR = 5.49, 95% CI 1.65–18.25), woman often consuming alcohol (AOR = 13.30, 95% CI 1.9–93.12); whereas its associated factor in 2020 were women consuming alcohol (3.91, 95% CI 0.55–9.87). Conclusion The present study revealed a significant increase in IPV against women, and slight decrease of IPV against men in Rwanda from 2015 to 2020, as well as its associated risks and protective factors over time. This increase needs further exploration given that government and partners have invested in policies and strategies to mitigate the IPV with limited impact. Since there is a relationship between IPV prevalence and education, the existing laws on domestic violence need to be known by the citizens. Findings from this study evidenced also visits from extended families to be a protective factor and therefore suggesting the necessity of a family and community-based approach in managing IPV in Rwanda. Future studies to assess the effectiveness of community-based approach in preventing IPV.

Background Despite significant socio-economic progress and a decade of interventions aimed at improving nutrition, malnutrition remains a significant problem among children under the age of five in Rwanda. While several studies have been conducted to identify important risk factors for malnutrition in Rwanda, none have specifically assessed the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and child nutritional status. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between women's exposure to IPV and the nutritional status of their children in Rwanda.Methods The study analyzed secondary data from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2019–20 (RDHS 2019/20). Data was gathered on women's emotional, physical, and sexual IPV experiences, as well as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Furthermore, their children’s birth outcomes were included as mediating factors. To determine the association between IPV exposure and child nutrition status, we used a series of binary logistic regression models. A total of 2,965 children, ages 6 to 59 months, born to women between the ages of 15 and 49 were studied.Results This study found that approximately 36%, 33.8%, and 14.6% of women in partnerships experienced physical, emotional, and sexual IPV, respectively. The prevalence of stunting among their children was 31.4%, and 7% were underweight. The crude analysis showed that women's experiences of sexual (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.19–2.25) and emotional (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.01–1.65) IPV were associated with an increased likelihood of their children being stunted, while only sexual IPV was associated with underweight (OR = 1.77, 95%CI = 1.05–2.99). Even after controlling for birth outcome variables, the association between sexual IPV, and stunting (OR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.06–2.28) and underweight (OR = 1.99, 95%CI = 1.13–3.56) remained significant. In the full model, after controlling for sociodemographic factors and birth outcome variables, sexual IPV was found to be associated with an increased risk of child stunting (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.03–2.17) but not significantly associated with underweight.Conclusion Women's experience of intimate partner violence is associated with an increased likelihood of their children's malnutrition status. Therefore, prospective interventions should suppress violence against women to reduce the burden of IPV and childhood malnutrition.