Intimate Partner Violence among Obstetric Population at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) did not spare pregnant women despite their physiological and anatomical changes in pregnancy. The epidemiology and outcomes of IPV change with time in the society. Study Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with IPV among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study conducted at the Antenatal Clinic of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: This study involved 403 pregnant women. The Hurt, Insult, Threaten and Scream (HITS) questionnaire was used to collect information and data recorded and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi‑squared, Fisher’s test and logistic regression) were used. Level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of IPV in pregnancy was 56.3% and the modal score was 4. About 11.9% of the women had a positive (severe) HITS score while 38.4% of the women experienced insult as the most common form of violence. There was a statistically significant association between the level of the score and marriage settings (P < 0.001), education of the woman (P < 0.001), education status of the husband (P < 0.001), occupation of the woman (P < 0.001), occupation of the husband (P < 0.001) and social habit of the husband (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of IPV was high from this study. Improvement in education status of the husband and employment status of both the wife and the husband can significantly affect violence against women positively in our society.