Publication:

Prevalence and predictors of intimate-partner violence in a rural household survey in Jammu, India

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a cause of concern globally as it poses a substantial barrier to accomplishing target 5.2 of the sustainable development goals i.e. to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. This study aims to assess the prevalence and predictors associated with IPV in a rural area of Jammu district.

Methods The study was conducted over a period of two months in the R. S. Pura block, which is a field practice area of the Postgraduate Department of Community Medicine. GMC Jammu, using a stratified two-stage sampling technique. The villages were identified as primary sampling units, while households located within villages were identified as secondary sampling units. Villages were stratified according to population into four strata, and five villages were selected from each stratum. In the next step, 15 households were selected from each of the mapped villages, and one married female aged ≥18 year (selected using the Kish Grid method of sampling) was interviewed using a predesigned, pre-tested, and structured questionnaire. A total of 300 women were interviewed, and data were analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. Chi-square test was used as the test of significance.

Results The overall prevalence of IPV was 59.6%, while psychological, physical, and sexual violence reported were at 27%, 14.33% and 3.33%, respectively. Age, religion, educational status, number of living children, and history of substance abuse in husband were found to be significantly associated with intimate partner violence (p<0.05).

Conclusions Results have revealed that IPV remains a concern despite many efforts by the Government of India for women's empowerment. The acceptance of wife beating among women and sexual violence has shown a lower prevalence; however, the prevalence of psychological violence is showing a rising trend.