Female attitudes towards intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income countries – findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys

Introduction/Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) can have serious negative effects on the physical and mental health of victims. Knowledge about the prevalences of women's attitudes towards IPV in different countries and about its determinants allows a better insight into the reasons and dynamics of IPV and helps to identify women at risk of IPV. Also, it can serve as a basis for the design of appropriate interventions towards IPV prevention. In this study, we compare prevalences and patterns of women's attitudes towards IPV among 18 developing countries and identify factors associated with accepting attitudes. Material/Methods: Cross-sectional data on attitudes towards IPV in five different situations was obtained for 91,135 women of reproductive age participating in the third round of UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in 2005/2006. We tested for prevalence differences of IPV attitudes between countries and constructed a multiple model to identify factors associated with accepting IPV in at least one situation. To account for the sampling design in every country, all analyses were weighted. Results: The prevalence of accepting IPV in at least one situation ranged from 6.9% in Georgia to 74.0% in Gambia. The chance for tolerating IPV decreased with increasing education (primary education: OR=1.75, CI-95%=1.66–1.87; secondary education OR=1.40, CI-95%=1.34–1.47; reference: higher/university education) and economic status of women (poorest wealth index quintile: OR=1.77, CI-95%=1.65–1.89; fourth quintile: OR=1.44, CI-95%=1.37–1.51; reference: richest quintile). Also, accepting attitudes towards IPV were associated with a higher number of children, living in rural areas and younger age of women. Discussion/Conclusion: In many countries, intimate partner violence is widely accepted by women and most likely results from prevailing social norms and gender roles. The variation of attitudes between and within countries as well as according to social status suggests that these attitudes can be modified by interventions targeting the promotion of educational and socio-economic development.