Intimate Partner Violence against Married Women and Associated Factors in Gedo Town, Oromia, Ethiopia

Background: Violence against women is worldwide public health problem. The problem of domestic violence in developing countries started surfacing in the last decade. However, lack of data from these countries still curtails a full understanding of the issues, and the magnitude and potential impacts it has on the life of women affected by domestic violence. The aim of this study was to assess intimate partner violence against married women in Gedo town, West Showa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Results: The mean age of the study participants were 30.58yrs with SD±7.01years and the majority of ethnicity were Oromo 285(86.9%). This study revealed that 27.6% of married women had faced physical violence with independent predictors of age (21-0(AOR=11.874), have no formal education (AOR=10.53) & attended grade 1-8th(AOR=15.31),abduction(AOR=6.67), faced psychological violence(AOR=7.74), family size less than four (AOR=29.84) and living with her mother/father(AOR=12.99), while 31.0% were faced psychological violence with significantly associated of Educational level(have no formal education(AOR=3.52),age of first marriage(<16)(AOR=5.31), smoking tobacco(AOR=8.58), partner chew chat (AOR=2.12), Faced physically violence(AOR=5) and finally 21.7% were experienced sexual violence with independent predictors of educational(9-11thgrade)(AOR=8.1),marriage(family supported (AOR=2.98), marital length(6-10yrs)(AOR=3.29), person live in the same HH(no one live)(AOR=3.71), smoker (AOR=19.1), Faced psychological violence (AOR= 2.37)respectively. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design with quantitative data collection methods were employed from April 5 to April 15/2015. The study participants were selected by using simple random sampling computer generated technique. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. The results were presented by using tables, figures and narratives Conclusion: This study determined that the prevalence of Intimate partner violence against married women and associated factors which revealed that the proportion of IPVAWs had faced one violence from the three types of violence were 102(31.3%) with 95% CI of (25.8%-36.2%), of which 56(17.2%) with 95% CI of (12.9%-21.8%) were faced two from three types of violence among this population. The overall overlapped of all three types of violence of IPVAW was 16(4.9%) with 95% CI (2.8%-7.4%) among married women in Gedo town. Finally this study identified sociodemographic and Household Related Factors associated with Intimate partner violence against married women. Therefore, these factors would be emphatically considered during development of women health and family guidance by police makers in collaboration with others responsible bodies. Keywords:-Intimate partner violence against married women, Gedo Town, Oromia, Ethiopi