Food-based domestic violence and anemia among women in sexual unions in Nigeria: the effect of urbanization

Abstract

In 2019, 1.74 billion people worldwide had anemia. In Nigeria, women of reproductive age are the most affected. Domestic violence affects the anemia prevalence, but few studies have examined the influence of urbanization on women in heterosexual unions (currently married, and cohabiting between). Using the social determinants of health framework, we argue that food-based violence and anemia vary among women residing in rural and urban areas. We used the Chi-square test and logistic regression to analyze the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey records (n = 10,499). The study showed that anemia occurs more among women in rural (66%) than in urban (34%) areas. In rural areas, anemia was 29% higher among women who approved food-based domestic violence (OR: 1.29, CI 1.15–1.57) than those who did not. In urban areas, food-based domestic violence was not significantly associated with anemia. This study emphasizes the urgent need for culturally sensitive maternal health interventions aimed at re-orienting individuals and families on violence in rural areas.