Association between experiences of intimate partner sexual violence and cigarette smoking among women in union in Papua New Guinea: evidence from a nationally representative survey

Abstract

Background Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a prevalent public health problem affecting millions of people each year globally, particularly in developing countries like Papua New Guinea (PNG). Although over two-thirds of women in PNG are estimated to experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, empirical evidence is limited on the association between IPSV and cigarette smoking. Thus, the present study aims to examine the prevalence of IPSV and its association with cigarette smoking among women in union in PNG. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the first demographic and health survey of PNG conducted between 2016 and 2018. A total of 9,943 women aged 15–49 years in intimate unions were included in this study. We estimated the relative risk of smoking cigarette using modified Poisson regression models with a robust variance and 95% confidence intervals. Results The rates of IPSV and current cigarette smoking were 25.9% and 26.8%, respectively. The modified Poisson regression results showed that IPSV was significantly associated with an elevated risk for cigarette smoking. Women with IPSV history were more likely to smoke cigarette relative to their counterparts with no IPSV history (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.18–1.50) in the absence of covariates. After controlling for demographic, social and economic factors, the association between IPSV and cigarette smoking remained statistically significant (RR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.08–1.42). Conclusions The rates of IPSV and cigarette smoking among women in union in PNG in the current study were relatively high. Irrespective of diverse demographic, social and economic factors, IPSV was still significantly associated with cigarette smoking among women in union in PNG. The findings presented call the attention of policy-makers and relevant authorities in PNG to an important association that needs to be addressed. Counseling, awareness creation, service provision and program design on IPSV are urgently required to minimize cigarette smoking and IPSV among women in union in PNG.

Partner alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence among women in Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional analysis of Demographic and Health Survey

“…For instance, substance use such as alcohol consumption triggers the perpetration of violence against women. 14 This linkage could be due to the increased likelihood of engaging in aggressive behaviour after alcohol intoxication. 47 48 This finding implies that for IPV to be alleviated, more efforts should be directed at partner alcohol consumption.…”

“…The prevalence of IPV ranges from 37% in the USA10 to as high as 72% in Mali 11. The prevalence of IPV among women, as well as its associated burden, is reported to be high in most low-income and middle-income countries,11–13 with Papua New Guinea, reported to be one of the countries with the highest prevalence globally 14 15…”

“…With this, several authors have reported that violence is normalised in Papua New Guinea and there is a widely shared perception that violence against women is a normal aspect of an intimate relationship 6 16 18. Identified risk factors for IPV include childhood experience of violence, low education, stress, ineffective communication in a relationship, unequal power in the relationship, unemployment, gender inequitable masculinities and harmful attitudes to gender relations that result in female disempowerment and marginalisation and alcohol and drug use 6 11 14 19…”

Determinants of cigarette smoking and smoking frequency among women of reproductive age in Nigeria: evidence from a nationwide cross-sectional survey

“…On the determinants of cigarette smoking among women, evidence indicates that familial and partner influences [ 20 ], low income [ 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 21 , 22 , 26 , 27 ], low education [ 4 , 7 , 9 , 18 , 21 , 22 , 28 , 29 ], greater education [ 30 , 31 ], urban areas [ 5 , 7 , 21 ], rural areas [ 10 ], older age [ 5 , 18 , 19 , 27 ], younger age [ 26 ], being married [ 5 ], being formerly married (divorced/separated/widowed) [ 18 , 27 ], female-headed household [ 29 ], being employed [ 7 ], unemployment [ 4 ], perceiving distance as a problem in seeking healthcare [ 7 ], religion [ 27 ], severely food insecure women [ 32 ], depression and stress [ 26 ], narcissistic and impulsive personality traits [ 28 ], region heterogeneity [ 7 , 21 ], multiparity [ 4 ], television viewing [ 23 ], and intimate partner sexual violence [ 33 ] increased the likelihood of cigarette smoking among women of reproductive age.…”

Does Childhood Experience of Interparental Abuse Shape Women’s Attitude Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Their Adult Life? Evidence From 31 Developing Countries

“…The recent estimates from 55 LMICs suggest that 26% of women (ever-married aged 15–49) experienced physical violence, 25% of the women experienced emotional violence, and 9% of the women experienced sexual violence by their intimate partner at some point in their life (DHS, 2022). Across the 28 States of the European Union, almost one in five women have experienced physical spousal violence (Walby & Olive, 2014), while surveys in some other countries indicate that as much as two out of three women experience some form of IPV (Asare et al, 2022; Douki et al, 2003; Miedema et al, 2022).…”