Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy among Postnatal Mothers Attending Health Centers in Lalitpur District, Nepal: An Observational Study

TL;DR

This study finds that nearly 30% of postnatal mothers in Nepal experienced intimate partner violence during pregnancy, highlighting a major public health concern.

Contribution

The study provides new prevalence data on intimate partner violence among postnatal mothers in Lalitpur District, Nepal.

Findings

28.30% of postnatal mothers experienced some form of intimate partner violence during pregnancy.

Psychological abuse was reported by 19.08% of mothers, while 15.08% experienced physical violence.

The findings emphasize the need for interventions to address violence against pregnant women in Nepal.

Abstract

Any form of intimate partner violence during pregnancy can push women into critical situations. It may result in inadequate prenatal care, poor nutrition, depression, and even death, which are all preventable maternal outcomes. For the neonate, the effect can be low birth weight, preterm birth, and even neonatal death. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence among postnatal mothers attending Health Centres.

A descriptive cross-sectional design with a probability cluster sampling technique was used for the study. The data was collected using interview schedules from 325 postnatal mothers using a modified form of the domestic violence tool from the Nepal Demographic Health Survey.

A total of 92 (28.30%) of mothers experienced some form of violence. Specifically, 62 (19.08%) endured psychological abuse, 49 (15.08%) suffered actual physical violence, and 52 (16.00%) were victims of sexual violence.

This study reveals a significant prevalence of intimate partner violence, with over a quarter of postnatal mothers experiencing some form of abuse. These findings highlight a critical public health issue in Nepal, indicating that a substantial number of mothers and their infants are at risk of severe health consequences due to violence from an intimate partner.

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