Prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence among women attending antenatal care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women remains a major public health problem in Africa and worldwide. IPV during pregnancy is an important risk factor for adverse health outcomes to women and their offspring and a major obstacle to the achievement of safe motherhood and reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. This study was set out to determine the prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence among women attending antenatal care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Methods: Between January 2025 and March 2025, we conducted a facility-based cross-sectional study among women aged 15-49 years. Data from 320 participants were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. The primary outcome was IPV in current pregnancy, defined as experiencing at least one form of IPV or a combination of two or three forms in the current pregnancy. The determinants of IPV in pregnancy were assessed using logistic regression analysis, including bivariate and multivariable analysis. Results: The prevalence of IPV was 11.6% (95% CI 8.1% - 15.1%), with the majority co-experiencing both sexual and psychological violence at 54%. 37.8% experienced all three 3forms of IPV. Only physical violence occurred as an isolated IPV form and was low at 8.1%. The median age of the participants was 26.15 (SD 5.72) years. The majority of participants were married, 295 (92.2%). IPV was independently associated with having an unintended pregnancy (aor=2.147, P=0.023), a spouse having many wives (aOR=2.205, P=0.038) and having a smoker (aOR=35.046, P=0.001) or an alcoholic spouse (aOR=2.721, P=0.015). Fear of reporting to police in case of IPV was another significant factor found (aOR=2.392, P=0.041). Conclusions: The present study found a relatively low prevalence of IPV, nearly 12%, among pregnant women attending ANC at KNRH in comparison with national, regional and global rates, with the majority of participants having experienced more than one form of IPV. This calls for a need to strengthen screening, reproductive health education, substance abuse prevention, legal support access, and community awareness to significantly reduce IPV risk.