Spousal violence against women and its association with sociodemographic factors and husbands’ controlling behaviour: the findings of Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015–2016)

Abstract

Background: Spousal violence is the most common domestic violence against women and a growing public health problem globally. As a behaviour, marital control is commonly accepted as a precursor to spousal violence. Objective: This study examines the prevalence of different types of spousal violence among women in Myanmar and their association with sociodemographic factors and husbands' controlling behaviour. Methods: This study used data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) 2015-2016. Based on the responses of 3,425 ever-married women, cross-tabulations (Chisquared test) and multivariate logistic regressions were applied to examine the association between controlling behaviour by husbands and lifetime physical, sexual and emotional spousal violence against Myanmar women. Synergy factor and population attributable fraction were estimated to recommend preventive strategies. Results: The prevalence of lifetime physical violence was 16.8%, of sexual violence 3.8%, of emotional violence 15.9%, and of husband's controlling behaviour 30.2%. Women who were exposed to controlling behaviour by their husbands reported higher likelihoods of lifetime physical spousal violence (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 3.0-4.7), lifetime sexual spousal violence (OR = 5.3; 95% CI: 3.3-8.6), and lifetime emotional spousal violence (OR = 5.6; 95% CI: 4.4-7.2). Controlling behaviour by husbands was attributed to 22.0% of lifetime physical spousal violence; and to 24.5% of lifetime sexual spousal violence and to 24.8% of lifetime emotional spousal violence in this sample of Myanmar women. Additional associated factors of spousal violence were poor wealth status, women's wife-beating justification, exposure to parental violence, and alcohol abuse among husbands. Conclusion: Controlling behaviour by husbands was significantly associated with higher likelihoods of lifetime spousal violence among ever-married Myanmar women in this study. These findings reflect an obvious need for policy development and preventive strategies against marital controlling behaviour in Myanmar.

Predictors of spousal coercive control and its association with intimate partner violence evidence from National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-2016) India

“…However, the finding is opposite to the finding of another study conducted in India, where the adjusted odds ratio indicate that husbands who had 12 and above years of education are less likely to exhibit coercive control [ 39 ]. Studies carried out using the National Health Survey in Nigeria and Myanmar show that husbands’ education is not associated with women’s experience of coercive control [ 23 , 48 ]. So far, limited studies have examined the role of socioeconomic characteristics on coercive control.…”

“…Our study also shows that with each increase in indicator of coercive control, the proportion of emotional, physical, or sexual IPV increases. The risk for violence directly increased with the number of coercive controls on the husband’s part across the diverse cultures studied [ 48 , 62 ]. The link between male IPV and various socially coercive controls has been found cross-culturally [ 63 ] and in our study too.…”

“…The analysis included demographic and socioeconomic variables as confounders based on previous studies [ 23 , 39 , 48 ]. Variables included for women—marital status (currently married, Widowed/Separated/Divorced); age (categorised as 15–24, 25–34, and 35-49); women’s education (no education, primary, secondary, and higher); the number of living children (0, 1, 2, and 3+); women’s occupation (not working and working currently).…”

Women's intergenerational intimate partner violence and household child abuse in Burma (Myanmar)

“…These social norms influence women's risk of IPV. In Burma (Myanmar), women who espouse attitudes in favor of men's use of IPV are 1.4 times more likely to experience lifetime physical IPV ( Tun & Ostergren, 2020 ). Further, norms that justify men's use of violence against their partners are related to the co-occurrence of men's perpetration of child abuse and IPV ( Namy et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Other survey data document prevalence of any IPV as high as 69%, with one in four women reporting physical partner abuse ( Kyu & Kanai, 2005 ). One in three women report controlling behaviors by their partners, including psychologically aggressive and coercive behaviors ( Tun & Ostergren, 2020 ). Young age is a risk factor for IPV, with ever-married women aged 15–19 reporting the highest rates of abusive behaviors by their spouses compared to women in other age groups ( Ministry of Health and Sports &ICF, 2017 ; Pengpid & Peltzer, 2017 ).…”