Intimate Partner Violence and the Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services in Nigeria

Abstract

Our aim in this study is to examine the association between women's lifetime experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) and the use of maternal health care services. We used data from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis was based on responses from 17,476 women (for antenatal care [ANC]) and 17,412 (for delivery assisted by a skilled health provider) who had had deliveries in the 5 years preceding the survey. We found an overall IPV prevalence rate of 33.4%. Physical IPV was associated with low use of ANC. Emotionally abused women were less likely to use delivery assistance from skilled health care providers. Based on our findings, we suggest the importance of designing interventions to address the health care needs of women who have experienced violence from their partners.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy and use of antenatal care among rural women in southern Terai of Nepal

“…Our study showed that IPV is negatively associated with the use of ANC services such as registering for ANC check-up, taking iron and folic acid, dietary diversity, rest and sleep during the day and attending a mother's group meeting. These findings are supported by several studies performed in LMICs (33)(34)(35)(36). Our study findings are also similar to the study from India, which demonstrated that the utilisation of ANC components in pregnant women were negatively associated with physical violence during pregnancy (32).…”

“…For example, a nationally representative survey in India reported that women who experienced physical violence during pregnancy were less likely to receive prenatal care, home-visits from a health worker for a prenatal check-up, receive at least three prenatal care visits, and less likely to initiate prenatal care early in the pregnancy (32). Similar evidence has been reported from studies in Ghana, Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria (33)(34)(35)(36).…”

Impact of Intimate Partner violence on ever married women and utilization of antenatal care services in Tanzania

“…9 There is significant association between utilization of maternal health care services and IPV. 10 But some research found that there is no significant association between IPV and utilization of antenatal care services in Zambia. 11 Present study aimed to assess the impact of interpersonal violence on utilization of antenatal care by women of Tanzania.…”

Utilization of maternal and child health care services in North and South India: does spousal violence matter?

“…Existing literature in South Asia and Africa suggests that presence of violence in a household may reduce the utilization of maternal and child health care services resulting in poor health status of both the mother and the child (Monemi, Pena, Ellsberg et al, 2003). Studies in Bangladesh and Nigeria found that intimate partner violence plays a significant role in lowering the utilization of reproductive health services among women and concluded that in addition to a wide range of socio-demographic factors, preventing physical and sexual violence needs to be considered as an important psychosocial determinant to increase utilization of reproductive health care services (Ononokpono and Azfredrick, 2014;Rahman, Nakamura, Seino et al, 2012). Using the Women's Reproductive Histories Survey (WRHS) in 2002 a study reveals that in India, among nuclear families, women with better marital relationships are more likely than their counterparts to use antenatal care services and deliver in a health-care facility (Allendorf, 2010).…”