Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Institute of Policy Studies and School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.
PLoS One. 2024 Mar 8;19(3):e0297308. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297308. eCollection 2024.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern that mostly impacts women's health and social well-being. This study explored how the various types of IPV (physical, sexual, and emotional) including women's experience of childhood violence influence their help-seeking behavior in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
We analyzed data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), carried out between 2018 and 2021. The outcome variable was help-seeking behavior. Descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out. The descriptive analysis looked at the bivariate analysis between the country and outcome variables. Using a binary logistic regression model, a multivariate analysis was utilized to determine the association between the outcome variable and the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regression modelling was used based on the dichotomous nature of the outcome variable. The results were sample-weighted to account for any under- or over-sampling in the sample.
The proportion of women who sought help for intimate partner violence was 36.1 percent. This ranged from 19.2 percent in Mali to 49.6 percent in Rwanda. Women who experienced violence in childhood (OR = 0.75, CI = 0.69, 0.82) have a lower likelihood of seeking help compared to those who did not experience violence in their childhood. Women who had experienced emotional violence (OR = 1.94, CI = 1.80, 2.08), and physical violence (OR = 1.37, CI = 1.26, 1.48) have a higher likelihood of seeking help compared to those who have not. Women with secondary educational levels (aOR = 1.13, CI = = 1.02, 1.24) have a higher likelihood of seeking help compared to those with no education. Cohabiting women have a higher likelihood (aOR = 1.22, CI = 1.10, 1.35) of seeking help compared to married women.
The study highlights the importance of early identification of IPV and fit-for-purpose interventions to demystify IPV normalization to enhance women's willingness to seek help. The study's findings suggest that education is crucial for increasing women's awareness of the legalities surrounding IPV and available structures and institutions for seeking help.
亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）是一个主要的公共卫生问题，主要影响妇女的健康和社会福祉。本研究探讨了不同类型的 IPV（身体、性和情感），包括妇女的童年暴力经历，如何影响她们在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）寻求帮助的行为。
我们分析了最近的人口与健康调查（DHS）的数据，这些数据是在 2018 年至 2021 年期间进行的。因变量是寻求帮助的行为。进行了描述性和推断性分析。描述性分析研究了国家与结果变量之间的双变量分析。使用二元逻辑回归模型，对结果变量与解释变量之间的关系进行了多变量分析。基于结果变量的二分法性质，使用了二元逻辑回归建模。结果进行了样本加权，以考虑样本中的过采样或欠采样。
寻求亲密伴侣暴力帮助的妇女比例为 36.1%。这一比例从马里的 19.2%到卢旺达的 49.6%不等。与没有童年暴力经历的妇女相比，有童年暴力经历的妇女（OR=0.75，CI=0.69，0.82）寻求帮助的可能性较低。经历过情感暴力（OR=1.94，CI=1.80，2.08）和身体暴力（OR=1.37，CI=1.26，1.48）的妇女比没有经历过这些暴力的妇女更有可能寻求帮助。具有中等教育水平的妇女（aOR=1.13，CI=1.02，1.24）比没有受过教育的妇女更有可能寻求帮助。与已婚妇女相比，同居妇女（aOR=1.22，CI=1.10，1.35）更有可能寻求帮助。
本研究强调了早期识别 IPV 和制定适合目的的干预措施的重要性，以消除 IPV 正常化，提高妇女寻求帮助的意愿。研究结果表明，教育对于提高妇女对 IPV 法律规定以及寻求帮助的现有结构和机构的认识至关重要。
