Exposure to interparental violence and intimate partner violence among women in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Introduction Evidence suggests that childhood exposure to interparental violence increases the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience or perpetration in adolescence or adulthood. However, it is unclear if exposure to interparental violence increases the risk of IPV among women in Papua New Guinea. This study, therefore, seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining the association between childhood exposure to interparental violence and IPV among women in Papua New Guinea. Methods We used data from the most recent 2016–18 Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health Survey. We included 3,512 women in our analyses. Past-year experience of IPV was the outcome variable in this study. Exposure to interparental violence was the key explanatory variable. We used a multilevel binary logistic regression to examine the association between exposure to interparental violence and IPV. Results We found a higher probability of experiencing IPV among women exposed to interparental violence [aOR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.86] relative to women who were not exposed. Furthermore, we found that women living in rural areas had a lower likelihood of IPV experience [aOR = O.50, 95% CI = 0.32, 0.80] compared to those in urban settings. Finally, a greater odd of IPV experience was found among women staying in the Highlands Region [aOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.96] compared to those staying in the Southern Region. Conclusion Exposure to interparental violence was found to be significantly associated with IPV among women in Papua New Guinea. The findings of this study suggest the need for proven operational strategies to reduce IPV, such as improving anti-IPV laws in Papua New Guinea. We recommend the development and implementation of intercession strategies to reduce the experience and justification of violence among women exposed to interparental violence. In addition, health professionals should implement counseling and health education initiatives to tackle the consequences of IPV on women's well-being.

Prevalence of pregnancy termination and associated factors among married women in Papua New Guinea: a nationally representative cross-sectional survey

“…Another possible explanation could be that the husband may be unwilling to accept the child and may use violence or other coercive means to force the woman to terminate the pregnancy, or negatively influence her decision. Moreover, women experiencing IPV may have less autonomy in sexual and reproductive health and are confronting the challenges of unmet contraceptive use and unintended pregnancies [55,58,60]. While terminating a pregnancy may most likely be the woman's choice, other options for her may also be limited in an abusive relationship.…”

Association between sexual violence and multiple high-risk fertility behaviours among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa

“…The response options in each of the 3 questions were “yes” and “no”. The categorisation used in this study was informed by literature [ 30 , 31 ]. Women who responded ‘yes’ to at least one of the 3 questions were said to have experienced sexual violence and their responses were coded as ‘1 = yes’ whilst the responses of those who had never experienced any of the violent acts were categorised as ‘0 = no’.…”