ABSTRACT

Objectives: To determine the frequency of physical and psychological domestic violence among women reporting to the Gynecology and Obstetrics outpatient department of Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi. Instigating factors and the relationship of domestic violence with different demographic characteristics was also studied.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration: OPD clinics of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi between 15th February to 15th March, 2015.
Methodology: Two hundred and ten married women were selected in the study. The data was obtained through structured interviews based on questionnaire used in WHO Multi-Country study on Women’s Health and Life Experiences.
Outcome Measures: Physical violence, Psychological Violence, demographic characteristics.
Results: In our study, the prevalence of physical domestic violence was found to be 15.7% while prevalence of psychological violence was 23.5%. The factors significantly related to physical violence included respondent’s husband’s age (p = .002), unemployment of husband (p = .034), wife’s non- participation in decision making (p = .001), husband’s addiction to drugs/ alcohol (p = .001), and husband’s smoking status (p = .044). Women witnessing IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) between parents tolerated physical violence more than those who had never witnessed it (p = .001). The most common instigating factor was disliking by in-laws (9.1%) followed by argumentation by the wife (8.2%) and economic instability (6.7%).
Conclusion: Domestic violence was commoner if husbands were un-employed, smokers/addicts and also if women are exposed to domestic violence between parents early in childhood. Efforts must be made to modify the social determinants of domestic violence to improve the lives of the female segment of the population.
Key Words: Domestic Violence, Instigating factors, demographic characteristics.

[Download Complete Original Article]
Online Format File Size: 123 KB(PDF)