Association between women’s experience of domestic violence and childhood vaccination in West Africa: Cross-sectional analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data
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SUBMITTER: Daramola T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10621962 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:IntroductionIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue, predominantly among women in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Existing evidence indicates high rates of IPV perpetration and its associated adverse health outcomes. Despite previous studies, reliance on old data underscores the need for current, nationally representative data to inform policy-making and interventions. Therefore, this study utilizes the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) to examine IPV experiences and associated factors, aiming to provide updated insights for effective IPV mitigation strategies in Ghana.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study of a weighted sample of 3,741 women between the ages of 15-49 years old from the 2022 GDHS. Binary logistic regression analysis was used in predicting the outcome.ResultsThe study found that 36.4 percent of women in Ghana had experienced some form of IPV, primarily emotional violence (31.5%), physical violence (17.3%), and sexual violence (7.6%). Women with higher levels of education had a significantly reduced risk of 60% of experiencing some form of IPV than those with no formal education. Partner domineering behaviours, such as women whose partners often get jealous for seeing them talk with other men [adjusted OR:1.76, 95%CI:1.25,2.48], accusing them of unfaithfulness [adjusted OR:2.59, 95%CI:1.03,2.46], not permitting them to meet female friends [adjusted OR:1.1.59, 95%CI:1.03,2.46], and limiting their contact with family [adjusted OR:5.75, 95%CI:2.27,13.42], were more likely to experience at least one form of IPV. Similarly, women who justified or endorsed wife beating had a higher likelihood [aOR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.22,2.02] of experiencing at least one form of IPV than those who did not endorse such behaviour.ConclusionIdentifying educational attainment, partner dominance, and violence endorsement as IPV predictors underscore targeted interventions. Promoting women's education bolsters empowerment and IPV prevention. Addressing dominance through education, counselling, and legal frameworks is crucial for fostering safer relationships and challenging violence normalization.
| S-EPMC11361440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AbstractPotential protection from violence has been suggested as an explanation for women's preferences for more masculine partners. Previous studies, however, have not considered that violence may be multi-modal, and hence come from different sources. Therefore, we tested the effect of different fears of violence (i.e. vulnerability to public crime, likelihood of within-partnership violence) on masculinity preferences of women from Colombia, a country known for its high rates of violence. Eighty-three adult heterosexual women (mean age ± SD = 26.7 ± 6.01) answered a survey that included questions about health (e.g. frequency of illnesses during the last year and during childhood), access to media (e.g. time spent watching television, frequency of internet use), education (i.e. highest level achieved) and violence perceptions. Participants' masculinity preferences for Salvadoran, European and Colombian male faces were recorded. Factor analysis revealed two different factors for the answers to questions related to violence. One factor loaded mostly on questions related to public violence and the second factor related to domestic violence. We found that women with higher scores on the domestic violence factor preferred significantly less masculine Colombian male faces. Even after controlling for participant age, education, access to media (TV and internet) and health-related factors, the domestic violence factor contributed significantly to explaining masculinity preferences. The results presented here suggest that women's preferences for masculinity may be a strategy to avoid aggressive partners and that the source of violence matters in mate choice.Significance statementWomen who perceive higher risks of domestic violence prefer less masculine looking partners. Using an experimental approach, we show that Colombian women who feel more in danger of violence within partnership prefer the faces of less masculine males. This was true even after controlling for women's education level, health and access to media.
| S-EPMC5694761 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTraumatic childhood experiences such as domestic violence and bullying have been reported to be associated with insomnia in adulthood. However, little evidence is available for the long-term effects of childhood adversity on workers' insomnia worldwide. Our objective was to examine whether childhood experiences of bullying and domestic violence are associated with insomnia in workers in adulthood.MethodsWe used survey data from a cross-sectional study of the Tsukuba Science City Network in Tsukuba City, Japan. Workers aged 20 to 65 years (4509 men and 2666 women) were targeted. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed with the Athens Insomnia Scale as the objective variable.ResultsBinomial logistic regression analysis showed that childhood bullying and domestic violence experience of childhood bullying and domestic violence were associated with insomnia. As for the experience of domestic violence, the higher the time of experience, the higher the odds ratio of insomnia.ConclusionsIt may be useful to focus on childhood traumatic experiences regarding insomnia in workers. In the future, objective sleep time and sleep efficiency should be evaluated using an activity meter and other methods to verify the effects of bullying and domestic violence experiences.
| S-EPMC10293797 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: Africa has the lowest childhood vaccination coverage worldwide. If the full benefits of childhood vaccination programmes are to be enjoyed in sub-Saharan Africa, all countries need to improve on vaccine delivery to achieve and sustain high coverage. In this paper, we review trends in vaccination coverage, dropouts between vaccine doses and explored the country-specific predictors of complete vaccination in West Africa. Methods: We utilized datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program, available for Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, to obtain coverage for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, polio, measles, and diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) vaccines in children aged 12 - 23 months. We also calculated the DPT1-to-DPT3 and DPT1-to-measles dropouts, and proportions of the fully immunised child (FIC). Factors predictive of FIC were explored using Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Overall, there was a trend of increasing vaccination coverage. The proportion of FIC varied significantly by country (range 24.1-81.4%, mean 49%). DPT1-to-DPT3 dropout was high (range 5.1% -33.9%, mean 16.3%). Similarly, DPT1-measles dropout exceeded 10% in all but four countries. Although no single risk factor was consistently associated with FIC across these countries, maternal education, delivery in a health facility, possessing a vaccine card and a recent post delivery visit to a health facility were the key predictors of complete vaccination. Conclusions: The low numbers of fully immunised children and high dropout between vaccine doses highlights weaknesses and the need to strengthen the healthcare and routine immunization delivery systems in this region. Country-specific correlates of complete vaccination should be explored further to identify interventions required to increase vaccination coverage. Despite the promise of an increasing trend in vaccination coverage in West African countries, more effort is required to attain and maintain global vaccination coverage targets.
| S-EPMC5407439 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThis is the first experimental study testing the effects of an economic intervention alone and in combination with a family-focused component, on women's empowerment status and family violence in Burkina Faso.MethodThe three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial with baseline and one-year follow-up included 360 ultra-poor married women from 12 villages. Villages were randomized to the three study arms: economic intervention for women (Trickle Up/TU), a combination of economic intervention and family coaching (Trickle Up Plus), and waitlist (Control arm). Analysis utilized repeated-measures mixed effects regressions.ResultsCompared to the control group, there was a significant improvement in both the TU arm and the TU Plus arm in women's financial autonomy and in quality of marital relationships. In addition, women in both intervention arms reported a significant reduction in emotional spousal violence in the past year, with the effect size greater for the combined intervention (TU group OR=0.28, 95% CI 0.10,0.82 p=0.02 and TU+ group OR=0.19, 95% CI 0.06,0.64, p=0.007).ConclusionsEconomic intervention shows benefits that go beyond changes in financial wellbeing and may increase women's status and improve family relationships. Integrating psychosocial components with economic strategies may be more effective for improving women's empowerment status in West Africa.
| S-EPMC8594903 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDomestic violence and abuse (DVA) are associated with increased risk of mental illness, but we know little about the mental health of female DVA survivors seeking support from domestic violence services.ObjectiveOur goal was to characterise the demography and mental health of women who access specialist DVA services in the United Kingdom and to investigate associations between severity of abuse and measures of mental health and health state utility, accounting for important confounders and moderators.DesignBaseline data on 260 women enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a psychological intervention for DVA survivors were analysed. We report the prevalence of and associations between mental health status and severity of abuse at the time of recruitment. We used logistic and normal regression models for binary and continuous outcomes, respectively. The following mental health measures were used: Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment, and the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale to measure posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) measured abuse.ResultsExposure to DVA was high, with a mean CAS score of 56 (SD 34). The mean CORE-OM score was 18 (SD 8) with 76% above the clinical threshold (95% confidence interval: 70-81%). Depression and anxiety levels were high, with means close to clinical thresholds, and more than three-quarters of respondents recorded PTSD scores above the clinical threshold. Symptoms of mental illness increased stepwise with increasing severity of DVA.ConclusionsWomen DVA survivors who seek support from DVA services have recently experienced high levels of abuse, depression, anxiety, and especially PTSD. Clinicians need to be aware that patients presenting with mental health conditions or symptoms of depression or anxiety may be experiencing or have experienced DVA. The high psychological morbidity in this population means that trauma-informed psychological support is needed for survivors who seek support from DVA services.
| S-EPMC4748088 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDomestic violence and abuse (DVA) are associated with an increased risk of mental illness, but we know little about the mental health of female DVA survivors seeking support from domestic violence services.ObjectiveDomestic violence and abuse (DVA) are associated with an increased risk of mental illness, but we know little about the mental health of female DVA survivors seeking support from domestic violence services.DesignBaseline data on 260 women enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a psychological intervention for DVA survivors was analyzed. We report prevalence of and associations between mental health status and severity of abuse at the time of recruitment. We used logistic and normal regression models for binary and continuous outcomes, respectively. Mental health measures used were: Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, and the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) to measure posttraumatic stress disorder. The Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) measured abuse.ResultsExposure to DVA was high, with a mean CAS score of 56 (SD 34). The mean CORE-OM score was 18 (SD 8) with 76% above the clinical threshold (95% confidence interval: 70-81%). Depression and anxiety levels were high, with means close to clinical thresholds, and all respondents recorded PTSD scores above the clinical threshold. Symptoms of mental illness increased stepwise with increasing severity of DVA.ConclusionsExposure to DVA was high, with a mean CAS score of 56 (SD 34). The mean CORE-OM score was 18 (SD 8) with 76% above the clinical threshold (95% confidence interval: 70-81%). Depression and anxiety levels were high, with means close to clinical thresholds, and all respondents recorded PTSD scores above the clinical threshold. Symptoms of mental illness increased stepwise with increasing severity of DVA.
| S-EPMC4199331 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Domestic violence is a common and significant social problem that threatens public health, violates human rights, and poses significant obstacles to national development. This study aimed to evaluate both male and female academics' knowledge and views on domestic violence, and determine its incidence and risk factors among academics. Participants comprised 304 academics working at universities, who were selected by cluster sampling from seven regions of Turkey. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression. Of the 304 participants, 56.9 % were female academics. The incidence of domestic violence among the academics was 21.4 %, with 25.4 % of female and 16.0 % of male academics reporting having experienced it. Academics who were victims of domestic violence were mostly exposed to it from their spouses. Academics also reported experiencing emotional violence. Female academics were 2.3 times more likely to experience domestic violence than men. Academics who were exposed to violence in childhood experienced 14.1 times more domestic violence than those who were not. Although it seems that a high status in society as an academic reduces the rates of exposure to domestic violence, gender, and witnessing or experiencing violence in early childhood are the most important risk factors for this population. The lack of a solution for domestic violence can be attributed to non-deterrent punishments.
| S-EPMC10682135 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects an estimated 641 million women and girls globally with far-reaching consequences for the health of women and children. Yet, laws that prohibit domestic violence (DV) are not universal. Countries actively debate the effectiveness of DV laws in improving conditions given the inconclusive evidence on deterrent effects within households particularly in low- and middle-income countries that have limited infrastructure, and fewer resources to implement and enforce policy changes. This is the first study to rigorously examine the impact of DV laws on women's health decision-making and the intergenerational impact on children's wasting, a key predictor of mortality. We used the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data collected between 2000-2020 across 23 African countries. Exploiting the staggered adoption of laws, we used a difference-in-differences study design to estimate the impact of DV laws in the treated countries compared to countries without such laws. We find that DV laws increased women's decision-making autonomy in healthcare by 16.7% as well as other measures of women's autonomy that matter for health such as financial autonomy by 6.3% and social mobility by 11.0%. The improvements in women's autonomy translated into reductions in the probability of wasting among children aged 0-23 months by 5.4% points, a 30.9% reduction from the mean. DV laws also reduced wasting among older children aged 24-59 months by 3.6% points, a 38.7% reduction from the mean. The laws were effective in all 6 countries analyzed individually that criminalized DV. A civil prohibition in the seventh country was not found to be effective. The effect was positive and significant for all wealth and geographical categories. Our findings demonstrate the value of enacting criminal laws that prohibit domestic violence as one important tool to reducing the profound health impacts of IPV, a critical health and human rights issue.
| S-EPMC10977741 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundViolence against women is a significant public health problem, and human rights abuse, and is associated with multiple adverse physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health effects. The current study aimed to determine the magnitude of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its determinant factors in East African countries.MethodsWe utilized the most recent demographic and health survey data from 11 East African countries, which was comprised of a weighted sample of 55,501 ever-married women. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied. We used an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% CI and a p value ≤ 0.05 in the multilevel logistic model to declare significant factors associated with IPV.ResultsThe overall prevalence of all forms of IPV in East African countries was 32.66% [95% CI 32.27, 33.05], with the highest IPV occurring in Uganda (14.93%) and the lowest IPV recorded in Comoros (0.87%). In the multivariable multilevel logistic regression model, women's education, residence, sex of household head, current pregnancy, husband drinking alcohol, attitude towards wife-beating husband controlling behavior, and women's decision-making autonomy were significantly associated with IPV.ConclusionThe risk factors noted above increase the likelihood of a woman experiencing IPV. Therefore, we recommend establishing effective health and legal response services for IPV, raising awareness of the existing legislation service and improving its application, strengthening legislations on purchasing and selling of alcohol, strengthening joint (both husband and wife) decision-making power by empowering women, improving the educational level of women, and establishing measures to break the culture of societal tolerance towards IPV.
| S-EPMC8928594 | biostudies-literature