Factors associated with Intimate partner violence among Ugandan women age 20-29 years

Abstract

Background: In Uganda, just like in many sub-Saharan countries, studies on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among women age 20-29 years are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with IPV among Ugandan women age 20-29 years. Methods: Data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (2016) was used. A weighted sample of 2,765 women who had been in a union and age 20-29 years were selected among women interviewed for domestic violence. Frequency distributions were used to describe the respondents and other IPV related characteristics while chi-square tests were done to establish the relationship between IPV and the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regressions were done to establish the factors associated with each form of IPV. Results: More than half (52%) of the women age 20-29 years experienced some form of IPV. Sexual IPV was the least prevalent (22%) and almost 4 in 10 women (36% and 38%) experienced physical and emotional IPV respectively. Factors which consistently determined all the different forms of IPV included partner’s education, witnessing parental violence, partner’s controlling behaviors, marital duration, number of co-wives and frequency of partner being drunk. Region was a predictor of emotional, sexual and any IPV while as partner’s alcohol consumption and age difference were predictors of only emotional violence. Woman’s education and age at first marriage were correlates of sexual and physical IPV respectively. Notably, women whose partners had primary education, controlling behaviors, co-wives and those who witnessed parental violence had increased odds of experiencing IPV compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: IPV towards Ugandan women age 20-29 years was high. Economic empowerment and most of the socio-demographic factors had no mitigating effect on IPV in the face of partner’s dysfunctional behaviors, marital factors and witnessing parental violence. Intervention programs should place more emphasis at countering perpetration and tolerance of violence in the home setting.