Prevalence of Domestic Violence Among Pregnant Women in Chabahar

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy can affect the prevalence of domestic violence during this period for various reasons, such as decreased sexual intercourse, misconceptions, and abnormal feelings about pregnancy. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the severity and frequency of domestic violence among pregnant women in Chabahar. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 400 pregnant women referred to health centers in Chabahar, southeast Iran. The Dispute Resolution Measures Questionnaire collected the data. The ANOVA test, t test and logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Data were entered into the computer using SPSS version 16 software. Results: Overall, 3.5% of women experienced very mild violence, 13.5% mild violence, and 83% moderate violence during pregnancy by their husbands. There was a significant relationship between total violence and pregnant women's and husbands' education (P < 0.05). Also, elementary literacy of pregnant women (OR = 4.7, P = 0.001) and husbands (OR = 6.2, P = 0.001) increased the likelihood of domestic violence among pregnant women. Conclusions: Due to the relatively high rate of moderate domestic violence, health promotion interventions, such as educating men about various dimensions of violence and its negative impact on the family, creating a culture to strengthen the status and human values of women, and holding training sessions for married men, can help reduce violence during pregnancy.