Spatial distribution and predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria

Globally, intimate partner violence is one of the major health problems women face every day. Its consequences are enormous. However, our search of the available literature revealed that no study had examined the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence and the predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria using current nationally representative data. This study, therefore, sought to examine the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence and its predictors among women in Nigeria.

We sourced data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for this study. A sample size of 8,968 women was considered for this study. We employed both multilevel and spatial analyses to ascertain the factors associated with intimate partner violence and its spatial clustering.

The hot spot areas for intimate partner violence in Nigeria were Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, and Rivers. The likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria was high among women with primary education, those that were previously married, women currently working, women who were Yoruba, women with parity of four and above and women who were exposed to mass media while low odds of intimate partner violence was reported among women who were Muslims. Women who resided in the North East region and those who lived in communities with medium socioeconomic status were more likely to experience intimate partner violence, while women who were within the richest wealth index and those residing in the South West region were less likely to experience intimate partner violence.

The study found regional variations in the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria. Therefore, policymakers should focus their attention on the hotspots for intimate partner violence in the country. There is also the need to consider the factors identified in this study to reduce intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria. Empowering women would yield a significant improvement in the fight against gender-based violence.