Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Wellbeing of Women: The Case of Wondo Genet Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern throughout the world with serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of the victims. In Ethiopia, violence against women is realized to be a great concern, not just from a human rights perspective but also from an economic and health viewpoint. The aim of this study was to assess intimate partner violence and psychological wellbeing against women in Wondo-Genet woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional population based household survey was employed. The data were collected during the period of September to November 2020 using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Participants were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling technique and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis such as frequency distribution, percentage, measures of central tendency and Pearson correlation. This was followed by binary logistic regression analysis to infer the association between the outcome and independent variables. A total of 384 participants were included in the study. The prevalence of intimate partner violence against women was found 37.8%. The overall psychological wellbeing of women in the study area was (M = 4.00, SD = 0.54).Women were more likely to suffer from violence if they were aged between 25 and 34 (OR = 4.244, CI=1.443-12.485), residence (OR=6.349, 95% CI=3.163-12.745), income (OR = 35.294, 95% CI = 6.14, 202.87) and occupation (OR= 2.587, CI= 2.130-5.922). Pearson correlation coefficient between psychological wellbeing was negatively correlated with the IPV (r= -.256; p<0.005).  The prevalence of IPV was found high in the study area and responsible bodies with various stakeholders as well as governmental and nongovernmental organizations need to address this problem. Attention should be paid to rural women with age of 25-34 years and low monthly incomes to increase their environmental awareness, self-acceptance, and reduce the burden of IPV.