Abstract:
Background: Intimate partner violence is recognized as worldwide serious public health problem. It can
cause serious injury, disability or death. Risk factors for intimate partner violence during pregnancy are
often similar to risk factors for intimate partner violence in general. Most studies done on intimate partner
violence during pregnancy stated only prevalence of physical violence or physical and sexual violence, but
this study tried to fill the gaps by elucidating intimate partner violence interims of physical, sexual and
psychological violence and also determined its adverse birth outcome.
Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of intimate partner violence during pregnancy
and its adverse birth outcome among recently delivered women in public health institution of Hossana
Town, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2014.
Methods: Facility based cross sectional study was conducted on recently delivered women in public health
facility of Hossana Town, Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 195 recently delivered women were
included in the study. The data were collected by pretested structured questionnaire and record review and
were described by using frequency tables and graphs.
Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify the most significant predictors of intimate
partner violence and birth outcome. Odds ratios at 95% CI were computed to measure the strength of the
association between the outcome and the explanatory variables. P-value ˂0.05 was considered as a
statistically significance.
Results: Twenty three percent (23%) of women experienced at least one form of Intimate partner violence
during pregnancy. Psychological violence was the most common form (20%) followed by physical (15%)
and sexual (12%).
Alcohol drinking by the partner (AOR=22(7.4, 65.6), no formal education of the partner (AOR=10.8(1.06,
108.5), planned pregnancy (AOR=0.23(0.079, 0.67) were significantly associated with intimate partner
violence during pregnancy and intimate partner violence during pregnancy (AOR=14.3(5.03, 40.7) was
significantly associated with Low birth weight.
Conclusion
This study revealed that intimate partner violence during pregnancy was a common experience. Partners’
alcohol consumption; no formal education of partner, planned pregnancy were associated with intimate
partner violence during pregnancy and intimate partner violence during pregnancy was associated with
low birth weight. Health sector, police, lawyers and advocator’s should give due emphasis to the victims of
this problem and public awareness of its consequences.
