Individual and Contextual Risk Factors of Intimate Partner Violence and Its Perceived Health Consequences in Chandigarh (UT)

Background: 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 investigate individual and contextual risk factors contributing towards IPV.(2) To identify coping mechanisms adopted by victims of violence.(3) To explore the perceived adverse consequences of violence on psychosocial and reproductive health of women. Methods: Community-based survey conducted among 624 married women in the reproductive age selected by WHO-30 cluster sampling. Results: Dowry demand and large family came out to be major reasons of IPV reported by 72(48.3%) and 63(42.3%) of 149 IPV victim women respectively. According to 77(51.7%) ever victims of IPV, husbands were IPV perpetrators. Quitting the place temporarily was the most common passive strategy reported by 117 (78.5%) of all women followed by stopped talking and seeking help of elders/formal sources reported by 107(71.8%) and 101(67.8%) women respectively. Crying for help was the most common active strategy adopted by 14(9.4%) victim women. Counter physical action was reported only by 2(1.3%) women. About sixty percent women were of the opinion that marriages by family consents were prevalent in the community and women should satisfy sexual desires of husband as reported by 124(19.9%) women. About ten percent women reported that their community accepts extra marital affairs of husbands. Conclusions: Partner Violence (IPV) should be dealt as a public health problem to be studied in view of both individual and contextual factors. Some psycho-social interventions for both women and men coping with Indian situations are desired to combat with IPV apart from medical interventions to reduce physical, psychological and sexual health consequences associated with IPV for wellness of reproductive lives of women.