Pattern of Domestic Violence among Married Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria
This study aims to investigate the prevalence and pattern of domestic violence among married women attending antenatal clinics. The study was a cross-sectional study design. Using a multistage sampling technique, 700 women attending antennal clinics were randomly sampled from 7 clinics/health centers in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Data were collected using pretested questionnaires after informed consent was obtained. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inference statistics. The study recorded a 78.57% response rate. Overall, 550 antenatal women participated in the study and the prevalence of domestic violence was 76.0% (n=418). While all the women that reported domestic violence were verbally assaulted, 42.58% (n=178) of them also reported being physically assaulted. The wife’s age, religion, education, employment status, years of marriage, number and gender of children did not significantly affect (p>0.05) the degree of verbal assault. However, wife’s age (0.000), level of education (0.000), number of children (0.001) and years of marriage (0.013) significantly influenced physical assault; that is, older women or those with higher education or many children or who have been married for long are less likely to be physically assaulted. This study showed that the prevalence of domestic violence is high among married women in the study population. While this study calls for the investigation of the factors involved, the need for interventions and addressing the issue herein studied by agencies involved cannot be overemphasized.
Domestic Violence, Married Women, Verbal Assault, Physical Assault, Public Health Issue
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