Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the violence committed by both current and former spouses and partners, and the rate of this violence is known to increase during different pandemics. The pooled prevalence of IPV among pregnant women before the COVID-19 pandemic was 37%, however, the po...

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Main Authors: Gizachew Yilak, Alemayehu Sayih Belay, Aychew Kassie, Befkad Derese Tilahun, Ambaw Abebaw Emrie, Mulat Ayele, Eyob Shitie Lake, Legese Fekede Abza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-02-01
Series:BMJ Public Health
Online Access:https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001161.full
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author Gizachew Yilak
Alemayehu Sayih Belay
Aychew Kassie
Befkad Derese Tilahun
Ambaw Abebaw Emrie
Mulat Ayele
Eyob Shitie Lake
Legese Fekede Abza
author_facet Gizachew Yilak
Alemayehu Sayih Belay
Aychew Kassie
Befkad Derese Tilahun
Ambaw Abebaw Emrie
Mulat Ayele
Eyob Shitie Lake
Legese Fekede Abza
author_sort Gizachew Yilak
collection DOAJ
description Objectives Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the violence committed by both current and former spouses and partners, and the rate of this violence is known to increase during different pandemics. The pooled prevalence of IPV among pregnant women before the COVID-19 pandemic was 37%, however, the pooled prevalence of IPV among women during COVID-19 is not yet known. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of IPV and its determinants among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources The review was done as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline using different search databases such as: PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Virtual Health Library Regional Portal, HINARI (research4life), and Google Scholar.Eligibility criteria Those quantitative studies conducted in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic, that reported the prevalence of IPV among women of reproductive age, and were published in English from 13 March 2020 to 15 October 2025, were included for this study.Data extraction and synthesis All authors independently extracted data using the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for evidence synthesis. Any incongruity of the result in the data extraction process was resolved through discussions and consensus (ie, a Delphi process). The data were analysed using Stata Corp V.11 software. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I2 test statistics and the random-effects meta-analysis was done using the restricted maximum likelihood method. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, and Egger’s and Begg’s tests.Result In this study, a total of 802 articles were identified using different electronic databases. Finally, 12 studies that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included for systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 7397 study participants were sampled from April 2020 to August 2021. The overall estimated pooled prevalence of IPV was 33.5% (95% CI 22.9% to 44.1%) and the prevalence of physical, psychological and sexual violence was 16.4%, 28.2% and 17.4%, respectively. Different factors such as: age of the young women (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.24; 95% CI 0.6, 5.8, p=0.015), lack of formal education (AOR=2.63; 95% CI 1.7, 3.6, p=0.000), partner’s substance use (AOR=2.07; 95% CI 1.5, 2.7, p=0.000), partner not attending formal education (AOR=3.38; 95% CI 2.2, 4.6, p=0.000) and partner’s alcohol use (AOR=2.82; 95% CI 1.1, 4.6, p=0.000) were found to be significantly associated with IPV among women during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusions In this study, a third of women of reproductive age experienced IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women whose partners used alcohol and other substances were found to be vulnerable to IPV. Therefore, this finding gives an insight for policymakers to focus on empowering women and their partner’s economic and educational status, promoting health education for partners towards the negative impact of bad behaviours like alcohol and other substance utilisation on their health, and the physical, mental and social wellbeing of women. Moreover, the burden of IPV is increased not only during such a pandemic but also during different internal displacements, conflicts and unrest. Therefore, we recommend policymakers to frequently assess IPV-related burdens during such events and act accordingly.
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spelling doaj-art-495e87b74e9140fc96c63e7800c7508c2025-02-04T17:15:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Public Health2753-42942025-02-013110.1136/bmjph-2024-001161Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysisGizachew Yilak0Alemayehu Sayih Belay1Aychew Kassie2Befkad Derese Tilahun3Ambaw Abebaw Emrie4Mulat Ayele5Eyob Shitie Lake6Legese Fekede Abza72 Department of Nursing, Woldia University, Woldia, Amhara, EthiopiaMaternal and Reproductive Health Unit, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Teferi, EthiopiaMaternal and Reproductive Health Unit, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Teferi, Ethiopia2 Department of Nursing, Woldia University, Woldia, Amhara, EthiopiaDepartment of Nursing, Wolkite University, Welkite, EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of science, Woldia University, Woldia, EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of science, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia3 Department of Nursing, Adult Health Unit, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Central Ethiopia, EthiopiaObjectives Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the violence committed by both current and former spouses and partners, and the rate of this violence is known to increase during different pandemics. The pooled prevalence of IPV among pregnant women before the COVID-19 pandemic was 37%, however, the pooled prevalence of IPV among women during COVID-19 is not yet known. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of IPV and its determinants among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources The review was done as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline using different search databases such as: PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Virtual Health Library Regional Portal, HINARI (research4life), and Google Scholar.Eligibility criteria Those quantitative studies conducted in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic, that reported the prevalence of IPV among women of reproductive age, and were published in English from 13 March 2020 to 15 October 2025, were included for this study.Data extraction and synthesis All authors independently extracted data using the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for evidence synthesis. Any incongruity of the result in the data extraction process was resolved through discussions and consensus (ie, a Delphi process). The data were analysed using Stata Corp V.11 software. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I2 test statistics and the random-effects meta-analysis was done using the restricted maximum likelihood method. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, and Egger’s and Begg’s tests.Result In this study, a total of 802 articles were identified using different electronic databases. Finally, 12 studies that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included for systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 7397 study participants were sampled from April 2020 to August 2021. The overall estimated pooled prevalence of IPV was 33.5% (95% CI 22.9% to 44.1%) and the prevalence of physical, psychological and sexual violence was 16.4%, 28.2% and 17.4%, respectively. Different factors such as: age of the young women (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.24; 95% CI 0.6, 5.8, p=0.015), lack of formal education (AOR=2.63; 95% CI 1.7, 3.6, p=0.000), partner’s substance use (AOR=2.07; 95% CI 1.5, 2.7, p=0.000), partner not attending formal education (AOR=3.38; 95% CI 2.2, 4.6, p=0.000) and partner’s alcohol use (AOR=2.82; 95% CI 1.1, 4.6, p=0.000) were found to be significantly associated with IPV among women during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusions In this study, a third of women of reproductive age experienced IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women whose partners used alcohol and other substances were found to be vulnerable to IPV. Therefore, this finding gives an insight for policymakers to focus on empowering women and their partner’s economic and educational status, promoting health education for partners towards the negative impact of bad behaviours like alcohol and other substance utilisation on their health, and the physical, mental and social wellbeing of women. Moreover, the burden of IPV is increased not only during such a pandemic but also during different internal displacements, conflicts and unrest. Therefore, we recommend policymakers to frequently assess IPV-related burdens during such events and act accordingly.https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001161.full
spellingShingle Gizachew Yilak
Alemayehu Sayih Belay
Aychew Kassie
Befkad Derese Tilahun
Ambaw Abebaw Emrie
Mulat Ayele
Eyob Shitie Lake
Legese Fekede Abza
Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BMJ Public Health
title Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age during the covid 19 pandemic in ethiopia a systematic review and meta analysis
url https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001161.full
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