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Prevalence, Rates and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among South African Women During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

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Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem in South Africa. However, limited research exists on IPV during pregnancy and the postpartum period in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence, rates and correlates of IPV among South African women during pregnancy and the first 9 months postpartum. Data are from a longitudinal study with women recruited during pregnancy between 2008 and 2010 at a public clinic in Durban. We used a modified version of the World Health Organization’s IPV scale to estimate prevalence and rates of IPV during pregnancy, at 4 months postpartum and 9 months postpartum and we used logistic regression to assess the correlates of IPV during this time. More than 20 % of all women experienced at least one act of physical, psychological or sexual IPV during pregnancy. Nearly one-quarter of all women experienced at least one act of physical, psychological or sexual IPV during the first 9 months postpartum. Psychological IPV was the most prevalent type of IPV during pregnancy and the first 4 months postpartum. Age and previous violence within the relationship were associated with IPV during pregnancy and IPV during the postpartum period. The high levels of IPV during pregnancy and the postpartum period highlight the need to develop screening and intervention strategies specifically for this time. Further, women should be screened not only for physical violence but also psychological violence given that psychological violence may result in distinct negative consequences.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to each of the South African women who participated in this study for helping us to better understand IPV during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This research was sponsored by the US National Institute of Mental Health (R01HD050134). We also received funds from the Open Society Institute and Elton John Foundation (20020472/20030878).

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Allison K. Groves, Luz McNaughton-Reyes, Sandra L. Martin, Vangie Foshee & Suzanne Maman

  2. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Dhayendre Moodley

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  1. Allison K. Groves
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  2. Dhayendre Moodley
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  3. Luz McNaughton-Reyes
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Correspondence to Allison K. Groves.

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Groves, A.K., Moodley, D., McNaughton-Reyes, L. et al. Prevalence, Rates and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among South African Women During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Matern Child Health J 19, 487–495 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-014-1528-6

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