Domestic violence as a risk factor for infant and child mortality: a community-based case-control study from southern
S Varghese1, J H Prasad1, K S Jacob2
1Christian Medical College, Vellore 632002, Tamil Nadu, India. Department of Community Health.
Background:
Violence against women may have an impact on infant and child mortality. We aimed to determine whether domestic violence is a risk factor for infant and child death.
Methods:
Eighty infant and child deaths (under 5 years of age) were identified from a central register of a comprehensive community health programme in rural southern India; controls were matched for age, gender and street of residence.
Results:
Domestic violence during the lifetime (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.39-4.99), which was severe (OR 4.00, 95% CI 2.02-7.94) and during pregnancy (OR 5.69, 95% CI 2.03-15. 93) and father's smoking status (OR 3.81, 95% CI 1.92-7.55) were significantly related to infant and child death while immunization being completed for age (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01-0.19) and having at least one boy child in the family (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.14-0.59) were protective. These variables remained statistically significantly associated with outcome after adjusting for other determinants using conditional logistic regression.
Conclusion:
There is evidence for an association between domestic violence in mothers, and infant and child death.
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