ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MOTHERS EXPERIENCE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND UNDER-FIVE MORBIDITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that there is an association between intimate partner violence and child mortality, though the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore whether an association exists between intimate partner violence (IPV) and illness in childhood. The study was a secondary data analysis of the 2008 NDHS, conducted from June to October, 2008, involving use of a stratified, 2-stage cluster sampling technique to select 21,1 60 currently married women with at least one child ≤5 years old. Main exposure was experience of past-year IPV prior to survey. Outcome measured were risk of fever, acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhoea within the past 2 weeks, determined based on maternal experiences of IPV within the past year via analyses adjusted for socio demographics and environment. The mean age of the women was 29±6.8 years, while the mean age of the children was 27±17.1 months. Many of the women (51.0%) were between the ages of 25 and 34 years Majority (28.3%) were from the North Western part of the country, more than half were Muslims (56.4%) and about three-quarter (72.2%) reside in rural areas. More than two-third (62.5%) of respondents are not currently working, while about half (49.7%) of them belong to the poor wealth index category. About half of them (49.3%) had no formal education. A higher proportion of the children (61.9%) were more than 24 months of age. More than half (56.6%) had never had vaccination. Few of the children had experienced fever, cough and dianhoea in the past two weeks; 13.6%, 9.1% and 10.3% respectively. Prevalence of past year IPV was 72.6%. Prevalence of physical IPV was 21.6%, sexual IPV was 9.2%, emotional IPV was 7.8%, while 66.0% had experienced controlling behaviours. Predictors of childhood morbidity were sexual and physical IPV experience of mothers (AOR: 1.632; CI: 1.419-1.879). Interventions aimed at improving child morbidity status should target protection of mothers from physical and sexual violence perpetration by their partners.