Intimate Partner Violence Among Mothers of Sick Newborns in Ghana

Health Care Women Int. 2016;37(5):583-94. doi: 10.1080/07399332.2015.1037444. Epub 2015 Apr 11.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem estimated to affect 15%-71% of women worldwide. We sought to elicit IPV risks among mothers of sick newborns in Ghana. As part of a broader study on postpartum depression, we conducted semistructured surveys of 153 women in a mother-baby unit, assessing demographics, depression, social support, and IPV with the present partner. Forty-six percent of mothers reported some form of violence, mostly emotional (34%), followed by physical (17%), and sexual (15%). The study highlights the frequency of perinatal IPV and the associated risk factors of depression and poor social support.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression, Postpartum / epidemiology
  • Depression, Postpartum / psychology*
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Female
  • Ghana / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Newborn, Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Intimate Partner Violence / psychology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Pregnancy
  • Prevalence
  • Regression Analysis
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Risk Factors
  • Sexual Partners / psychology*
  • Social Support
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires