Nisha Rao1, Abigail Norris Turner1,2, Bryna Harrington3, Patrick Nampandeni4, Venson Banda4, Alison Norris1,2. 1. The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA. 2. The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, OH, USA. 3. Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. 4. Child Legacy International, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To characterize associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and adverse delivery outcomes among married Malawian women. METHODS: In the present secondary analysis of an ongoing project investigating sexual and reproductive health decision making in rural, Lilongwe District, Malawi, married women who had experienced at least one pregnancy were interviewed between July 15, 2014, and February 25, 2015. Associations between physical IPV experienced with participants' current partners and history of adverse delivery outcomes (spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths) were examined using log-binomial regression. RESULTS: The analyses included 792 women. The 166 (21.0%) participants who reported having experienced physical IPV with their current partner were significantly more likely to have a history of adverse delivery outcomes in the unadjusted (prevalence ratio 1.23; 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.41) and adjusted (adjusted prevalence ration 1.19; 95% CI 1.01-1.40) analyses. CONCLUSION: Physical IPV was reported by a large proportion of participants in the present study and was significantly associated with adverse delivery outcomes. Public health interventions providing physical IPV screening and referral to support services could help improve maternal and child health in Malawi.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and adverse delivery outcomes among married Malawian women. METHODS: In the present secondary analysis of an ongoing project investigating sexual and reproductive health decision making in rural, Lilongwe District, Malawi, married women who had experienced at least one pregnancy were interviewed between July 15, 2014, and February 25, 2015. Associations between physical IPV experienced with participants' current partners and history of adverse delivery outcomes (spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths) were examined using log-binomial regression. RESULTS: The analyses included 792 women. The 166 (21.0%) participants who reported having experienced physical IPV with their current partner were significantly more likely to have a history of adverse delivery outcomes in the unadjusted (prevalence ratio 1.23; 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.41) and adjusted (adjusted prevalence ration 1.19; 95% CI 1.01-1.40) analyses. CONCLUSION: Physical IPV was reported by a large proportion of participants in the present study and was significantly associated with adverse delivery outcomes. Public health interventions providing physical IPV screening and referral to support services could help improve maternal and child health in Malawi.
Authors: Elizabeth C Wetzel; Tapiwa Tembo; Elaine J Abrams; Alick Mazenga; Mike J Chitani; Saeed Ahmed; Xiaoying Yu; Maria H Kim Journal: Malawi Med J Date: 2021-12 Impact factor: 0.875