Prevalence, Correlates, and Trends of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Gambia: Results From 2 National Cross-Sectional Health Surveys

Abstract

No country is immune from intimate partner violence (IPV). The objectives of this study were to analyze the prevalence, correlates and trends of this global public health menace perpetrated by men against women using the most recent nationally representative Gambia Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2019-20; with analysis of levels and trends of IPV perpetrated by current/former husbands/partners from ever-married women, from GDHS conducted in 2013, at the 8 subnational regions. IPV association with 12 covariates entailing socio-demographic, experiential and attitudinal characteristics was analyzed in bivariate and multivariable models, using simple and multiple logistic regression. Physical, emotional, and sexual IPV was reported by 29.09%, 24.03%, and 5.52% respectively. While prevalence of having experienced any type of IPV was39.23%. Statistically significant association of IPV with various covariates computed in univariate analysis were used in the multivariable logistic regression model. Women’s and husband’s educational attainment, wealth status, having witnessed father physically beat mother, and marital control exhibited by the husband were statistically significantly associated with IPV, in the final model. Physical, emotional, and sexual IPV increased from 2023 to 2019-20 in all 8 regions, with the exception of sexual IPV in Kanifing region. However, not all these changes were not statistically significant. Physical and sexual IPV prevalence in Gambia was slightly lower compared with the African region. The disturbing finding of increase in all 3 types of violence in all regions—with one exception—paints a dire scenario that augurs the imperative of women empowerment and revisiting of cultural norms for protecting women.

Prevalence, correlates, and trends of intimate partner violence against women in Sierra Leone: findings from 2013 and 2019 demographic and health surveys

“…There is a contrast with the global and WHO Africa Region estimates of physical and/or sexual IPV in a similar demographic, which in 2018 were 27 and 33%, respectively ( 3 ); the victimization and resultant harm among Sierra Leonean women exceeded the global average by 24.67 percentage points and that of the WHO Africa Region by 18.67 percentage points. Among the three types of IPV, the lifetime prevalence of physical IPV was the highest, which is a finding in consonance with other studies ( 20 , 26 ).…”

“…Occupational status, residential status, and decision-making participation were not statistically significantly associated with IPV. A recent study from Gambia also reported a similar lack of statistically significant association with IPV via bivariate analysis using the DHS data ( 26 ), contrasting with the recent meta-analysis that reported the association of residency in rural areas with IPV ( 5 ).…”

Prevalence, correlates, and trends of intimate partner violence against women in Pakistan: Results from Pakistan Demographic and Health surveys 2012–13 and 2017–18

“…However, the cross-sectional design of DHS does not render any causal inferences, merely associations. Such association between controlling behavior and high IPV has been reported previously [ 24 ].…”

“…In general rural denizens tend to have lower educational attainment, economic status, and more pronounced patriarchal societies. Yet, this lack of association might reflect IPV pervasiveness, but such lack of association has also been previously reported [ 24 , 28 ]. While results of multivariable analyses showed the statistically significant associations of IPV with the number of living children; partner’s use of alcohol; having knowledge of IPV at home; and marital control.…”

“…IPV, like any other public health concerns, manifests differential distribution at the subnational levels [ 24 ], that could potentially be masked when studying prevalence at the national level alone, in addition to differentials in terms of time. Hence, it is imperative to study geographical and temporal inequalities so as to identify subnational and temporal heterogeneities of IPV, to facilitate geographically tailored controlling and preventive interventions.…”