Objectives. In this study, we have evaluated the lifetime and past-year prevalence of exposure to physical violence among married women in the city of Tehran and urban and rural areas of Hashtgerd. Methods. The target population were noninstitutionalized female citizens, aged 15 years or older, who have at least one history of marriage and who resided in the capital city of Tehran or Hashtgerd County from the summer of 2008 to fall of 2010. We used a multistage sampling method. Tehran's District Six, a central district in Tehran, was selected as a representative cluster of all municipal districts in Tehran. A total of fifty blocks were randomly selected from this district, from which 1,000 married women aged 15 years or older were interviewed using a cross-sectional design. Data was gathered face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. The lifetime prevalence, past-year prevalence, and related factors of domestic violence were measured. SPSS version 11.5 was used for the analyses. Results. Figures for lifetime prevalence and past-year prevalence were measured to be 38.7% and 6.6%, respectively. The independent effects of marital status and location and type of residency for women, along with education and smoking habits of their spouses, were statistically significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion. Domestic violence is a public health concern in Iran. Based on our findings, we propose that empowering women through education, and improving their ability to find employment and income, along with increasing public awareness of human rights issues through education could lower the prevalence of domestic violence.

Background: World health organization (WHO) stated that domestic violence (DV) is a health-related priority. Despite the unpleasant consequences of violence, this matter still is not considered serious enough in many countries including Iran. Objectives: To better understand the issues, the current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence in Iranian families. Materials and Methods:In this cross sectional study, according to a previous study, four provinces with the highest rate of the violence and one province with the least rate of violence in Iran were selected. The subjects who met the including criteria and attended the selected health care centers of these provinces were invited to complete the demographic questionnaire and domestic violence questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire which measured frequency of different types of domestic violence life long, and during the last year . Finally 2056 filled questionnaires were collected. Results: Lifetime and last year prevalence of domestic violence was 52%. Nearly half of the subjects (47%) reported the presence of DV from their spouse in day to day life. In this study, only 3% of respondents had sought help for violence. Illiteracy, low income, lower age at marriage, shorter duration of marriage, physical disease, mental disorder and substance use were significantly prevalent in the group with higher rate of DV. Conclusions:The prevalence of DV is quite high in Iran; however, its disclosure is very low.

Objectives. In this study, we have evaluated the lifetime and past-year prevalence of exposure to physical violence among married women in the city of Tehran and urban and rural areas of Hashtgerd. Methods. The target population were noninstitutionalized female citizens, aged 15 years or older, who have at least one history of marriage and who resided in the capital city of Tehran or Hashtgerd County from the summer of 2008 to fall of 2010. We used a multistage sampling method. Tehran's District Six, a central district in Tehran, was selected as a representative cluster of all municipal districts in Tehran. A total of fifty blocks were randomly selected from this district, from which 1,000 married women aged 15 years or older were interviewed using a cross-sectional design. Data was gathered face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. The lifetime prevalence, past-year prevalence, and related factors of domestic violence were measured. SPSS version 11.5 was used for the analyses. Results. Figures for lifetime prevalence and pastyear prevalence were measured to be 38.7% and 6.6%, respectively. The independent effects of marital status and location and type of residency for women, along with education and smoking habits of their spouses, were statistically significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion. Domestic violence is a public health concern in Iran. Based on our findings, we propose that empowering women through education, and improving their ability to find employment and income, along with increasing public awareness of human rights issues through education could lower the prevalence of domestic violence.