Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract Background Intimate partner violence remains a major public health problem, especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We used Demographic and Health Survey data of 28 s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01809-8 |
| _version_ | 1828725695962939392 |
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| author | Betregiorgis Zegeye Comfort Z. Olorunsaiye Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Eugene Budu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Sanni Yaya |
| author_facet | Betregiorgis Zegeye Comfort Z. Olorunsaiye Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Eugene Budu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Sanni Yaya |
| author_sort | Betregiorgis Zegeye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Intimate partner violence remains a major public health problem, especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We used Demographic and Health Survey data of 28 sub-Saharan African countries that had surveys conducted between 2010 and 2019. A sample of 253,782 married women was considered for the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out, and the results were presented using crude odds ratio (cOR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) at 95% confidence interval. Results The pooled result showed about 71.4% of married women in the 28 countries in this study did not justify wife-beating. However, the prevalence of non-justification of wife-beating varied from 83.4% in Malawi to 17.7% in Mali. Women’s age (40–44 years-aOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.16–2.24), women’s educational level (secondary school-aOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.13–1.91), husband’s educational level (higher-aOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31–0.95), women’s occupation type (professional, technical or managerial-aOR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.06–2.62), wealth index (richest-aOR = 5.52, 95% CI 3.46–8.80) and women’s decision-making power (yes-aOR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.19–1.62) were significantly associated with attitude towards wife-beating. Conclusion Overall, less than three-fourth of married women in the 28 sub-Saharan African countries disagreed with wife-beating but marked differences were observed across socio-economic, decision making and women empowerment factors. Enhancing women’s socioeconomic status, decision making power, and creating employment opportunities for women should be considered to increase women’s intolerance of wife-beating practices, especially among countries with low prevalence rates such as Mali. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:31:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9bb2f900f5a4d0f9dcbb8fc9e9c8cb6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:31:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9bb2f900f5a4d0f9dcbb8fc9e9c8cb62022-12-22T03:31:10ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742022-06-0122111110.1186/s12905-022-01809-8Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan AfricaBetregiorgis Zegeye0Comfort Z. Olorunsaiye1Bright Opoku Ahinkorah2Edward Kwabena Ameyaw3Eugene Budu4Abdul-Aziz Seidu5Sanni Yaya6HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field OfficeDepartment of Public Health, Arcadia UniversitySchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology SydneySchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology SydneyDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastSchool of International Development and Global Studies, University of OttawaAbstract Background Intimate partner violence remains a major public health problem, especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We used Demographic and Health Survey data of 28 sub-Saharan African countries that had surveys conducted between 2010 and 2019. A sample of 253,782 married women was considered for the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out, and the results were presented using crude odds ratio (cOR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) at 95% confidence interval. Results The pooled result showed about 71.4% of married women in the 28 countries in this study did not justify wife-beating. However, the prevalence of non-justification of wife-beating varied from 83.4% in Malawi to 17.7% in Mali. Women’s age (40–44 years-aOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.16–2.24), women’s educational level (secondary school-aOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.13–1.91), husband’s educational level (higher-aOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31–0.95), women’s occupation type (professional, technical or managerial-aOR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.06–2.62), wealth index (richest-aOR = 5.52, 95% CI 3.46–8.80) and women’s decision-making power (yes-aOR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.19–1.62) were significantly associated with attitude towards wife-beating. Conclusion Overall, less than three-fourth of married women in the 28 sub-Saharan African countries disagreed with wife-beating but marked differences were observed across socio-economic, decision making and women empowerment factors. Enhancing women’s socioeconomic status, decision making power, and creating employment opportunities for women should be considered to increase women’s intolerance of wife-beating practices, especially among countries with low prevalence rates such as Mali.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01809-8Wife-beatingDomestic violenceWomen’s empowermentSub-Saharan AfricaGlobal health |
| spellingShingle | Betregiorgis Zegeye Comfort Z. Olorunsaiye Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Eugene Budu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Sanni Yaya Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa BMC Women's Health Wife-beating Domestic violence Women’s empowerment Sub-Saharan Africa Global health |
| title | Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full | Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_short | Understanding the factors associated with married women’s attitudes towards wife-beating in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_sort | understanding the factors associated with married women s attitudes towards wife beating in sub saharan africa |
| topic | Wife-beating Domestic violence Women’s empowerment Sub-Saharan Africa Global health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01809-8 |
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