Prevalence of intimate partner violence in Spain: A national cross-sectional survey in primary care

Abstract

Objectives: (1) To analyze the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence by types. (2) To examine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and Intimate Partner Violence. Design: Cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. Setting: Primary Healthcare centers in Spain. Participants: 10,322 women (18–70 years) attending Primary Healthcare centers. Main measurements: A compound index was calculated based on frequency, types, and duration of Intimate Partner Violence. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression models were used to identify the sociodemographic factors, which were independently associated with each Intimate Partner Violence category. Results: The prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence was 24.8%. For the physical only category, no differences were observed regarding education or employment status, and women with the highest income have less risk. For the psychological only category, no differences were observed according to the income level. The risk increases as the education level decreases, and the greatest frequency of only psychological Intimate Partner Violence was observed in women who were unemployed or students. For both the physical and psychological category of Intimate Partner Violence, a clear risk increase is observed as income and education levels decrease. Retired women showed the highest frequency of this violence category. Conclusion: The results show that Intimate Partner Violence affects women of all social strata, but the frequency and Intimate Partner Violence category will vary according to the socio-economic.

Keywords

• Spouse abuse
• Battered women
• Socioeconomic factors
• Prevalence
• Spain