Dual Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case Study of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Karabo E. MHELE, North West University

Introduction: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major health issue that primarily affects women globally. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of dual IPV where an individual reported experiencing both emotional and physical violence and its associated factors. The study involved 11779 women aged 15–54 from the Demographic and Health Survey. The analysis employed chi-square statistics and multinomial logistic regression. Results: 43% of participants reported physical or emotional IPV, while 21% reported experiencing both (dual IPV). The relative risk ratio (RRR) for dual IPV was highest among those in union (RRR = 2. CI: 1.55-2.58), those employed (RRR = 1.29, CI: 1.10–1.50), those who endorsed wife-beating (RRR = 1.41, CI: 1.22-1.64), women with controlling partners (RRR =6.67, CI: 5.47-8.15), and those whose partners consumed alcohol (RRR = 3.07, CI: 2.67–3.53). Conversely, the risk was lower among women with higher education (RRR = 0.61, CI 0.41–0.92), from wealthier households (RRR = 0.75, CI: 0.58-0.96), and staying in urban areas (RRR = 0.72, CI: 0.58-0.90). Conclusion: Close to a quarter of participants reported experiencing dual IPV. Key factors influencing it were partner-related behaviours including alcohol use and exhibiting controlling behaviour.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics

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