Socio-demographic correlates of intimate partner violence (ipv) in chandigarh (ut), northern india

Domestic violence particularly, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a universal phenomenon with deep rooted socio-cultural causes having regional differentials in its potential correlates. Objectives: (1 To ascertain the prevalence and patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) in study area.2) To investigate socio-demographic risk factors of IPV. Methods: Community-based survey conducted among 624 married women in the reproductive age selected by WHO-30 cluster sampling. Results: About 24% women sometimes during married life suffered from intimate partner violence. Lower age, working of women, nuclear family and having no male child were found significant risk factors of IPV. Maximum respondents reported to suffer from sexual (11.5%) violence of some forms followed by physical violence (10.9%) by their respective intimate partners. Among 149 (23.9%) IPV victims of all 624 women, percentage of sexual violence victims was found to be 48.3% and 18.1% of IPV victims suffered from some form of psychological violence sometimes since marriage. Conclusions: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) should be dealt with as a public health problem and some psycho-social interventions are also desired to combat with IPV apart from medical interventions for wellness of reproductive lives.