Poonam Rishal1,2, Kunta Devi Pun1,3, Elisabeth Darj1,4,5, Sunil Kumar Joshi2, Johan Håkon Bjørngaard1,6, Katarina Swahnberg7, Berit Schei1,8, Mirjam Lukasse9,10. 1. 1 Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. 2. 5 Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital, Nepal. 3. 2 Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu University, Nepal. 4. 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Olav's Hospital, Norway. 5. 4 Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. 6. 6 Forensic Department and Research Centre Bröset, St. Olav's University Hospital, Norway. 7. 7 Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden. 8. 8 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Olav's Hospital Trondheim University Hospital, Norway. 9. 9 Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College, Norway. 10. 10 Department of Health and Social Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Norway.
Abstract
AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) and its associated factors among pregnant women in Nepal. The secondary aims were to investigate disclosure of DV by women to health-care personnel and to assess whether health-care personnel had asked women about their experience of DV. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 2004 pregnant women between 12 and 28 weeks of gestation attending routine antenatal care at two hospitals in Nepal from August 2014 to November 2015. In this study, DV was defined as fear of a family member and/or an experience of physical, emotional or sexual violence. Associated risk factors were analysed using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-one per cent of the women had experienced DV; 12.5% experienced fear only, 3.6% violence only and 4.9% experienced both violence and fear. Less than 2% per cent reported physical violence during pregnancy. This study found that just 17.7% had ever been asked by health-care personnel about DV, and of the women who had reported DV, only 9.5% had disclosed their experience to health-care personnel. Women of young age and low socio-economic status were more likely to have experienced DV. Women who reported having their own income and the autonomy to use it were at significantly lower risk of DV compared to women with no income. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of women reported having experienced DV. Victims had rarely disclosed their experience of DV to health-care personnel. This study underlines the importance of integrating systematic assessment of DV in antenatal care.
AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) and its associated factors among pregnant women in Nepal. The secondary aims were to investigate disclosure of DV by women to health-care personnel and to assess whether health-care personnel had asked women about their experience of DV. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 2004 pregnant women between 12 and 28 weeks of gestation attending routine antenatal care at two hospitals in Nepal from August 2014 to November 2015. In this study, DV was defined as fear of a family member and/or an experience of physical, emotional or sexual violence. Associated risk factors were analysed using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-one per cent of the women had experienced DV; 12.5% experienced fear only, 3.6% violence only and 4.9% experienced both violence and fear. Less than 2% per cent reported physical violence during pregnancy. This study found that just 17.7% had ever been asked by health-care personnel about DV, and of the women who had reported DV, only 9.5% had disclosed their experience to health-care personnel. Women of young age and low socio-economic status were more likely to have experienced DV. Women who reported having their own income and the autonomy to use it were at significantly lower risk of DV compared to women with no income. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of women reported having experienced DV. Victims had rarely disclosed their experience of DV to health-care personnel. This study underlines the importance of integrating systematic assessment of DV in antenatal care.
Authors: Poonam Rishal; Kunta Devi Pun; Berit Schei; Buna Bhandari; Sunil Kumar Joshi; Katarina Swahnberg; Jennifer Jean Infanti; Mirjam Lukasse Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-03-27 Impact factor: 3.390