Screening for Intimate Partner Physical Violence against Women in Outpatient Clinics of a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To determine the incidence and risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) against Nigerian women attending outpatient clinics in a tertiary hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based survey of 332 women attending out-patient clinics for reasons apparently unrelated to physical violence. Results: The response rate was 95.4%. The past year incidence of IPV was 14.5% while lifetime incidence was 20.2%. The risk factors were: belonging to the lower social class (P=0.03), level of education of the woman being primary school or no formal education (P=0.002), and secondary education (P=0.01), and the male partner having secondary education (P=0.02). Conclusion: This study found a substantial incidence of IPV in Nigerian women attending outpatient clinics. Our findings suggest that most women attending outpatient clinics will be willing to provide information on experience of IPV if asked and therefore it is feasible to screen all women attending outpatient clinics for IPV. Health education programmes to increase awareness, to educate women, and to advocate for appropriate legislation against IPV need to be pursued to vigor. Niger Med J. Vol. 49, No.1 , Jan. – Mar., 2008: 1 – 4. Keywords: intimate partner physical violence, women, incidence, risk factors.