KUMJ | VOL. 20 | NO. 3 | ISSUE 79 | JULY-SEPT. 2022
Intimate Partner Violence and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Koirala S
Abstract: Background
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an abuse or harm that occurs in a close relationship.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that, globally, 35% of women living
in industrialized and developed countries have experienced exposure to intimate
partner violence and during pregnancy it is associated with low birth weight, preterm
birth, and even death of the baby.
Objective
To find out proportion of intimate partner violence and adverse pregnancy outcome
among postnatal mothers who recently delivered their baby.
Method
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 postnatal mothers using a
structured questionnaire based on 13-item WHO Violence against women instrument
in Nepali language. Face-to-face interview technique was used to collect data using
consecutive sampling technique at Kathmandu Medical College teaching Hospital.
The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Result
In recent pregnancy, 32.7% of women had experienced intimate partner violence
at least once, which has been categorized as physical 28.6%, psychological 30.9%,
and 22.7% sexual violence. Among them, 36% had low birth weight babies, 24% had
preterm, 2.8% had dead baby, and 35% reported abortion in previous pregnancy. In
the binary logistic regression, intimate partner violence was significantly associated
with preterm baby (OR-1.143, 95% CI- 0.386-3.384, p=0.002), low-birth weight (OR-
0.237, 95% CI- 0.093-0.602, p ≤ 0.001), and abortion (OR-0.021, 95% CI- 0.003-0.175,
p ≤ 0.001).
Conclusion
One in three women experienced intimate partner violence during their recent
pregnancy and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Programs
targeting screening of intimate partner violence against women should therefore
be emphasized during reproductive health services such that adverse pregnancy
outcomes can be prevented.
Keyword : Intimate partner violence, Low birth weight, Pregnancy outcomes, Preterm birth
