Intimate partner violence and women's health in Botswana: The Maun Women's Study

Objectives: IPV is a significant public health problem worldwide impacting the physical and mental health of millions of women. This study examines IPV in northern Botswana and identifies factors that may protect a woman from or predispose her to violence. Background: Despite research in other settings linking IPV to various risk factors including poverty, education, alcohol use and HIV status, very little empirical data exists about the phenomenon in Botswana. Methods: Structured interviews were administered to a random sample of 469 women aged 18 years and older in Maun, Botswana to gather socio-demographic information and assess women's experience with IPV. Logistic regression was used to identify factors predictive intimate partner violence in the past year. Results: 45% of respondents reported IPV in the past year. Major predictors of IPV included respondent alcohol use (OR 2.6, CI95 1.5, 4.6, p = .001), partner alcohol use (OR 2.4, CI95 1.5, 4.0, p = .001), depression (OR 1.95, CI95 1.1, 3.4, p = .02) and suicide ideation (OR 2.6, CI95 1.3, 5.4, p = .01). Higher levels of household income had a protective effect, reducing the likelihood of IPV by two-thirds when compared to women living in poverty (OR 0.4, CI95 0.2, 0.8, p = .01). Whether or not a woman lived with a serious chronic disease did not increase the likelihood of IPV in this population. Implications: Screening and treatment for alcohol abuse and mental health disorders should be integral to public health strategies to reduce violence against women in Botswana.