3127.0: Monday, October 22, 2001 - 2:50 PM

Abstract #29422

Domestic violence against women in Egypt - Health outcomes of wife-beating

Nafissatou Diop-Sidibé, PhD, Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins University, 111 Market place. Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202, (443) 742-0523, nsidibe@jhsph.edu

Research has consistently demonstrated that a woman is more likely to be abused by an intimate partner than by any other person. Many negative health consequences to the victims have been associated with domestic violence against women. Multivariate logistic regressions with data from 6566 currently married women who responded to both the 1995 Demographic and Health Survey main questionnaire and a special module on women’s status are used to examine the association between ever beating, beating in past year or frequency of beatings in past the year and 1) contraceptive use, pregnancy prevention and management, and 2) report of health problems or illnesses. Ever beating and beating in past year lower the likelihood of ever using female contraception while higher frequency of beatings is associated with current non-use. Among women who had a baby in the past year, those ever beaten are less likely to have received ANC by a health professional. Unexpectedly, the opposite is true for most frequently beaten women. Similarly, among women who received professional care, those ever abused are more likely to make 4 visits or more. More ever beaten women perceive the size of their last baby born in the past year as smaller than average. They also report more health problems necessitating medical attention. In Egypt as elsewhere around the world, wife beating is negatively related with many health outcomes. But the strength of the association varies with the recency and frequency of the abuse.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Recognize the importance of wife-beating on the health of Egyptian women 2. Identify some health outcomes associated with wife-beating in Egypt

Keywords: Women's Health, Domestic Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA