Abstract
Introduction
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a concern of global health and women’s rights in both developed and developing countries. Addressing IPV is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly empowering women and gender inequality. In Cambodia, the prevalence of IPV is relatively high, but reports on the factors that determine IPV are still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the factors associated with IPV, including urban and rural areas in Cambodia.
Methods
We used existing CDHS 2014 data limited only to a subsample of women in the households selected for the interview in the violence module. In total, 4,307 married women aged 15-49 years completed the domestic violence questionnaire. We analyzed the data using Stata V13. The sampling weight was taken into account for the complex sampling design in all analyses. Associations between factors and IPV were assessed using the chi-square test. We also used univariate logistic regression to determine the strength of the associations and calculate the odds ratios (ORs). All significant variables with a p value < 0.10 according to the chi-square test were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Additionally, potential confounders and variables of interest were included regardless of their significance level.
Results
Age group 30-39 (29.3%) represented the highest proportion, followed by age group 40-49 (22.9%). All forms of violence increased with the aging of women except for sexual violence. Overall, the IPV prevalence was 21.2%, but it was lower in urban areas (23.0%) than in rural areas (30.0%), with a p value = 0.05. However, there was no significant difference in IPV between urban and rural areas when adjusted for other covariates in the multivariate logistic regression. Factors that were positively associated with IPV were having > 4 children (AOR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.57–5.30) and having a husband’s alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.73–3.72). Factors that independently decreased the odds of having IPV included women’s higher education (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI=0.30–0.68) and husbands’ joint decisions in the family (AOR = 0.41; 95% CI=0.25–0.67).
Conclusion
This study revealed that the sociodemographic characteristics of women who were associated with IPV included their level of education, number of children, husband’s joint decision and husband’s alcohol consumption. Additionally, there was no significant difference in IPV between rural and urban settings. Therefore, a few feasible recommendations should be focused on women’s empowerment through universal education to girls and women up to secondary education or high school. Although it could take time and investment, it could be sustainable and impact society in the future by increasing women’s confidence and self-respect and eliminating gender inequalities and discrimination.