Prevalence, Patterns, and Determinants of Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Women Who Are Pregnant in Sanma Province, Vanuatu

Abstract

Violence perpetrated by an intimate partner (IPV) is an important human rights and public health problem worldwide and when experienced during pregnancy is of special concern due to the harmful impact on maternal and child health. Women living in Vanuatu, and especially Sanma Province, experience high rates of IPV, however little is known about their experiences of violence when pregnant. The aim was to describe the prevalence, patterns and determinants of IPV among women who are pregnant in Sanma Province, Vanuatu. A cross-sectional survey was used. All healthy adult women attending Northern Provincial Hospital antenatal clinic from late May to late July 2019 were eligible and invited to participate. Psychological, physical and sexual IPV and controlling behaviours were assessed with a modified version of the World Health Organization Violence Against Women Instrument administered as an individual interview. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse prevalence and patterns of IPV and logistic regression models to identify determinants. Of 214 women who expressed interest in participating, 192 women contributed data. Overall 64.2% of women had experienced any IPV during their lifetime and 42.2% had experienced IPV during their current pregnancy. Experience of co-occurrence of violence types was common, and it was more common for IPV to continue than to cease during pregnancy. Factors which increased likelihood of experiencing IPV included being employed, occupying a lower socioeconomic position, having a partner who was unemployed or used alcohol or illicit substances at least once a week. IPV, in all its forms, is a common problem faced by women who are pregnant and living in Vanuatu.

Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis

“…Several studies across countries supported the hypothesis that alcohol use affects cognitive functioning, raises aggression and increases men’s perpetration of VAW 35 48 50 54 82–84 100 101 111 152 153. Partner’s illicit drug use was also associated with increased IPV perpetration in Vanuatu154 and Bangladesh 75 120…”

Intimate partner violence and health outcomes experienced by women who are pregnant: a cross-sectional survey in Sanma Province, Vanuatu

“…We also acknowledge that the women included in this study were more likely to have a higher socioeconomic position, and level of education, and live in an urban area, compared to the general population. [17] Given that these factors are protective of mental health it is possible that the findings of this study are an underestimate of the population burden of antenatal mental health problems associated with IPV.…”

“…It is not clear why this might be the case, but we established that being employed during pregnancy was associated with increased likelihood of IPV and it is possible that in experiencing the empowerment that comes with employment, women are at risk of controlling practices including IPV. [17] Suicidal thoughts and behaviours occur most commonly when a person feels trapped and humiliated. It is likely that women in this setting feel even less able to escape the intrinsically humiliating predicament of violent victimisation while pregnant than at other times.…”

“…The methods are described in detail in McKelvie et al. [17] where we report the prevalence, patterns and determinants of experiences of IPV perpetrated against women who are pregnant in Vanuatu. In brief, women attending an antenatal clinic at one of the two major hospitals in Vanuatu were recruited consecutively to participate by completing a structured survey in a confidential individual interview.…”