Department of Sociology and Social Policy, 34743Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.
Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, 581053University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana.
J Interpers Violence. 2023 Jan;38(1-2):NP2092-NP2111. doi: 10.1177/08862605221098405. Epub 2022 May 18.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is predominant in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and has serious adverse effects on the physical, psychological, and reproductive health of those who experience it. For reproductive health outcomes, experiencing IPV has been linked to higher odds of unintended pregnancies that can result in abortion. Hence, we examined the association between IPV and pregnancy termination among women in SSA. This study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) of 25 countries in SSA, which adopted a cross-sectional study design. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to examine the association between IPV and pregnancy termination. The results were presented as crude odds ratios (cORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of IPV and pregnancy termination were 40.8% and 16.5%, respectively. The odds of pregnancy termination was higher among women who had experienced IPV [cOR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.52-1.61] compared to those who had never experienced IPV. This persisted after controlling for potential confounders [aOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.51-1.61]. At the country level, IPV had a significant association with pregnancy termination in all the countries considered, except Sierra Leone and Namibia. These findings highlight the need for laws and policies to protect women from IPV in SSA, especially in the countries that recorded higher odds of IPV and pregnancy termination.
亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）很普遍，对经历过这种暴力的人的身心健康和生殖健康都有严重的不良影响。对于生殖健康结果，经历过 IPV 与意外怀孕的几率更高相关，这可能导致堕胎。因此，我们研究了 SSA 地区女性中 IPV 与终止妊娠之间的关联。这项研究使用了来自 SSA 地区 25 个国家的人口与健康调查（DHS）的数据，该研究采用了横断面研究设计。使用单变量和多变量二项逻辑回归模型来检查 IPV 与终止妊娠之间的关联。结果以粗比值比（cOR）和调整比值比（aOR）表示，置信区间（CI）为 95%。IPV 和终止妊娠的患病率分别为 40.8%和 16.5%。与从未经历过 IPV 的女性相比，经历过 IPV 的女性终止妊娠的可能性更高[cOR=1.57，95%CI=1.52-1.61]。在控制了潜在混杂因素后，这一结果仍然存在[aOR=1.56，95%CI=1.51-1.61]。在国家层面，除塞拉利昂和纳米比亚外，所有被考虑的国家的 IPV 都与终止妊娠有显著关联。这些发现强调了在 SSA 地区需要制定法律和政策来保护女性免受 IPV 的侵害，特别是在记录到更高的 IPV 和终止妊娠几率的国家。
