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12Background: Domestic violence remains a public health challenge worldwide. Studies in the sub-13 Saharan Africa have shown high level of violence against women, especially from intimate 14 partners. What is not known is how soon domestic violence happens after marriage among ever-15 married women. This study assessed the timing of first domestic violence among ever-married 16 women and identified its determinants in Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique. 17 Data and Method: Data of 56440 ever-married women of reproductive age pooled from DHS 18 conducted in Nigeria (2013), Kenya (2014) and Mozambique (2011) was used. The timing of first 19 domestic violence was estimated as the period between marriage and the first experience of 20 domestic violence. Ever-married women without violence experience were censored on the date 21 of the survey. Survival analysis techniques were used to assess the timing and the factors 22 influencing the timing p=0.05. 23Result: The prevalence of domestic violence in Nigeria, Kenya and Mozambique was 12.1%, 24 7.5%, and 15.4% respectively. The median time to first domestic violence across the three 25 countries was 3 years. We found a higher prevalence of violence among formerly married women 26 than currently married women. Women who married before age 20 years have a significantly 27 higher risk of experiencing violence (Nigeria: aHR= 2.36 (95% CI (1.97-2.83), Kenya: aHR= 1.89 28 (95% CI (1.31-2.73) and Mozambique: aHR=1.60 (95% CI (1.24 -2.12)) than older women. 29Women in poorer wealth quintile were at higher risk of violence across the three countries. Other 30 factors associated with the timing of first domestic violence are respondents', location of residence 31 and educational attainment. 3 32 Conclusion: Domestic violence has remained high in Mozambique, Nigeria and Kenya. There 33 was a significant relationship between timing of first domestic violence and whether or not a 34 woman remains in a marriage. Education and delayed marriage could help reduce violence in 35 marriage. 36 BACKGROUND 38 Violence is a fundamental human right issue and has constituted global social, clinical health as 39 well as public health challenges(1-4). Literature is replete that violence against women, especially 40 women and girls has remained high despite several interventions to halt it(5,6). Depending on the 41 presence or absence of a relationship between a victim and a perpetrator of a violence, violence 42can be grouped as self-directed, interpersonal and collective violence. Domestic violence is one of 43 the interpersonal violence and has unacceptably thrived across various regions of the world. 44Domestic violence, also referred to as spousal or intimate partner violence, is a subtle type of 45 violence occurring between partners in union (legal or not) and within the family context. 46Domestic violence happens both in cohabitation and marriage. Nevertheless, occurrence may not 47 be restricted to the confines of the home(3). Domestic violence is not peculiar to only 48 hetero...