Prevalence of intimate partner violence in pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic in Qazvin-Iran 2021

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) in pregnant women is considered one of the most important types of violence, which can include physical, psychological abuse and sexual violence. During the lockdown due to COVID-19, the home is at risk of becoming a very dangerous place for victims of domestic violence. We aimed to determine the prevalence of IPV and associated factors in pregnant women in Qazvin, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 450 pregnant mothers who were referred to the Kowsar Hospital Prenatal Clinic in Qazvin in 2021. Participants were assessed using a questionnaire consisting of four parts (demographic data, Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) for domestic violence, The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) for IPV. Data were collected and analysis was performed via SPSS software version 22 using a non-parametric test; Mann–Whitney and × 2 tests. Results The overall prevalence of IPV was higher in pregnant women than their husbands in Qazvin. The most common form of IPV was psychological aggression (24.8%), followed by scale of injury (8.2%), physical (3.3%) and sexual (4.2%) violence. In addition, analysis of the AAS questionnaire shows that psychological violence is the most common form of domestic violence among pregnant women. Conclusion In this study, IPV in pregnant women has increased slightly compared to studies conducted in the years leading up to the COVID-19. Risk of IPV was not related to previous COVID-19 infection. Collaborative efforts between various stakeholders and policy actions must be taken to ensure the safety and protection of pregnant women during this challenging time.

Keywords

• Intimate partner violence (IPV)
• Pregnancy
• COVID-19
• Iran