NCJ Number
241802
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 10 Dated: July 2011 Pages: 2073-2092
Date Published
July 2011
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of physical IPV among the general and poor populations in urban Nepal.
Abstract
Comparative studies are lacking on intimate partner violence (IPV) between urban poor and general populations. The objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of physical IPV among the general and poor populations in urban Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted by structured questionnaire interview. Participants included 905 ever-married women in Kathmandu aged 15 to 49 years. Of the 905 participants, 680 were randomly selected from general population and 225 were recruited from urban poor population, who lived in purposively selected two communities. The prevalence and association between ever experiencing physical IPV and sociodemographic variables were examined. Results showed that the prevalence of physical IPV was 33.8 percent among the urban poor population (n = 225) and 19.9 percent among the general population (n = 680; p less than .01). Several factors were significantly associated with physical IPV in both populations: the frequency of the husband's drinking, polygyny, and lower household economic status. However, two factors were associated with physical IPV only among the general population: the husband's lower educational level and early marriage. The conclusions of this study are that compared to the general population, the urban poor population showed a significantly higher prevalence of physical IPV and differences in the associated risk factors. The urban poor population requires focused data collection as well as tailored interventions to reduce IPV. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.