Attitudes Towards Gender Roles and Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated Against Pregnant and Postnatal Women: Differences Between Women Immigrants from Conflict-affected Countries and Women Born in Australia

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2021 Jul 30

PMID 34329321

Citations 2

Authors

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

Mohammed Mohsin

Derrick Silove

Jane Fisher

Batool Moussa

Zachary Steel

Heather Nancarrow

Nawal Nadar

Louis Klein

Fatima Hasoun

Mariam Yousif

Batoul Khalil

Yalini Krishna

Susan J Rees

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The aim was to compare, for the first time in a large systematic study, women born in conflict-affected countries who immigrated to Australia with women born in Australia for attitudes towards gender roles and men's use of IPV and the actual prevalence of IPV. The study also examined if any associations remained across the two timepoints of pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods: Women were interviewed during their first visit to one of three Australian public hospital antenatal clinics and re-interviewed at home six months after giving birth. A total of 1111 women completed both interviews, 583 were born in conflict-affected countries and 528 born in Australia. Associations between attitudes towards gender roles and men's use of IPV, socio-demographic characteristics and reported actual experiences of IPV were examined using bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results: Attitudes toward inequitable gender roles including those that condone men's use of IPV, and prevalence of IPV, were significantly higher (p<0.001) among women born in conflict-affected countries compared to Australia-born women. Women born in conflict-affected countries with the strongest held attitudes towards gender roles and men's use of IPV had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 3.18 for IPV at baseline (95% CI 1.85-5.47) and an aOR of 1.83 for IPV at follow-up (95% CI 1.11-3.01). Women born in Australia with the strongest held attitudes towards gender roles and IPV had an aOR of 7.12 for IPV at baseline (95% CI 2.12-23.92) and an aOR of 10.59 for IPV at follow-up (95% CI 2.21-50.75).

Conclusions: Our results underscore the need for IPV prevention strategies sensitively targeted to communities from conflict-affected countries, and for awareness among clinicians of gender role attitudes that may condone men's use of IPV, and the associated risk of IPV. The study supports the need for culturally informed national strategies to promote gender equality and to challenge practices and attitudes that condone men's violence in spousal relationships.

Citing Articles

Factors contributing to the high prevalence of intimate partner violence among south Sudanese refugee women in Ethiopia.

Hadush F, Tsegaye D, Legass S, Abebe E, Zenu S BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):1418.

PMID: 37488592 PMC: 10367380. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16343-x.

Cohort profile: intimate partner violence and mental health among women from refugee background and a comparison group of Australian-born - the WATCH cohort study.

Rees S, Mohsin M, Moussa B, Fisher J, Steel Z, Nadar N BMJ Open. 2022; 12(5):e051887.

PMID: 35534066 PMC: 9086637. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051887.

References

Gupta J, Acevedo-Garcia D, Hemenway D, Decker M, Raj A, Silverman J . Premigration exposure to political violence and perpetration of intimate partner violence among immigrant men in Boston. Am J Public Health. 2008; 99(3):462-9. PMC: 2661447. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.120634. View

Abramsky T, Watts C, Garcia-Moreno C, Devries K, Kiss L, Ellsberg M . What factors are associated with recent intimate partner violence? findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11:109. PMC: 3049145. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-109. View

Abu-Ras W . Cultural beliefs and service utilization by battered Arab immigrant women. Violence Against Women. 2007; 13(10):1002-28. DOI: 10.1177/1077801207306019. View

Wirtz A, Pham K, Glass N, Loochkartt S, Kidane T, Cuspoca D . Gender-based violence in conflict and displacement: qualitative findings from displaced women in Colombia. Confl Health. 2014; 8:10. PMC: 4115473. DOI: 10.1186/1752-1505-8-10. View

Rees S, Fisher J, Steel Z, Mohsin M, Nadar N, Moussa B . Prevalence and Risk Factors of Major Depressive Disorder Among Women at Public Antenatal Clinics From Refugee, Conflict-Affected, and Australian-Born Backgrounds. JAMA Netw Open. 2019; 2(5):e193442. PMC: 6503483. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.3442. View

Rees S, Silove D, Chey T, Ivancic L, Steel Z, Creamer M . Lifetime prevalence of gender-based violence in women and the relationship with mental disorders and psychosocial function. JAMA. 2011; 306(5):513-21. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.1098. View

Kalt A, Hossain M, Kiss L, Zimmerman C . Asylum seekers, violence and health: a systematic review of research in high-income host countries. Am J Public Health. 2013; 103(3):e30-42. PMC: 3673512. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301136. View

Cadilhac D, Sheppard L, Cumming T, Thayabaranathan T, Pearce D, Carter R . The health and economic benefits of reducing intimate partner violence: an Australian example. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15:625. PMC: 4495849. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1931-y. View

. Wife abuse and battering in the sociocultural context of Arab society. Fam Process. 2000; 39(2):237-55. DOI: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.2000.39207.x. View

10.

Krause K, Gordon-Roberts R, VanderEnde K, Schuler S, Yount K . Why Do Women Justify Violence Against Wives More Often Than Do Men in Vietnam?. J Interpers Violence. 2015; 31(19):3150-3173. PMC: 4636478. DOI: 10.1177/0886260515584343. View

11.

Kelly J, Colantuoni E, Robinson C, Decker M . From the battlefield to the bedroom: a multilevel analysis of the links between political conflict and intimate partner violence in Liberia. BMJ Glob Health. 2018; 3(2):e000668. PMC: 5898300. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000668. View

12.

Black E, Worth H, Clarke S, Obol J, Akera P, Awor A . Prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence against women in conflict affected northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study. Confl Health. 2019; 13:35. PMC: 6668065. DOI: 10.1186/s13031-019-0219-8. View

13.

Rees S, Mohsin M, Tay A, Steel Z, Tam N, da Costa Z . Risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence amongst men exposed to torture in conflict-affected Timor-Leste. Glob Ment Health (Camb). 2018; 5:e23. PMC: 6036651. DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2018.16. View

14.

Saile R, Neuner F, Ertl V, Catani C . Prevalence and predictors of partner violence against women in the aftermath of war: a survey among couples in northern Uganda. Soc Sci Med. 2013; 86:17-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.046. View

15.

Stark L, Ager A . A systematic review of prevalence studies of gender-based violence in complex emergencies. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2011; 12(3):127-34. DOI: 10.1177/1524838011404252. View

16.

Bailey B . Partner violence during pregnancy: prevalence, effects, screening, and management. Int J Womens Health. 2010; 2:183-97. PMC: 2971723. DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s8632. View

17.

Heise L, Kotsadam A . Cross-national and multilevel correlates of partner violence: an analysis of data from population-based surveys. Lancet Glob Health. 2015; 3(6):e332-40. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(15)00013-3. View

18.

Rees S, Tol W, Mohsin M, Mohammad M, Tay A, Tam N . A high-risk group of pregnant women with elevated levels of conflict-related trauma, intimate partner violence, symptoms of depression and other forms of mental distress in post-conflict Timor-Leste. Transl Psychiatry. 2016; 6:e725. PMC: 4872420. DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.212. View

19.

Hossain M, Zimmerman C, Kiss L, Abramsky T, Kone D, Bakayoko-Topolska M . Working with men to prevent intimate partner violence in a conflict-affected setting: a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Côte d'Ivoire. BMC Public Health. 2014; 14:339. PMC: 4007144. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-339. View

20.

Hellmuth J, Gordon K, Stuart G, Moore T . Risk factors for intimate partner violence during pregnancy and postpartum. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2012; 16(1):19-27. PMC: 3547143. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-012-0309-8. View