Gender-Based Violence in Rural Uttar Pradesh, India: Prevalence and Association With Reproductive Health Behaviors

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Domestic violence is a significant issue affecting women's health globally.
• Reproductive health behaviors are often influenced by socio-cultural factors and personal experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of domestic violence in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.
• To examine the association between domestic violence and women's reproductive health behaviors and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A large household survey was conducted in rural Uttar Pradesh from 2009-2010.
• Data were collected from 4,223 married women (aged 15-49) and 2,274 husbands using multistage stratified systematic sampling.
• Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Over one-third of married women experienced spousal violence (verbal, physical, sexual).
• Nearly 47% of women faced violence during their last pregnancy.
• Violence was significantly linked to pregnancy complications and lack of delivery preparedness, even after controlling for socio-economic factors.

Conclusions:

• Domestic violence is prevalent and negatively impacts reproductive health in rural India.
• Pregnancy complications and poor delivery preparedness are significantly associated with experiencing violence.
• Frontline health workers should screen pregnant women for domestic violence during antenatal visits to mitigate maternal morbidity and mortality.