The epidemiology of domestic violence in Saudi Arabia: a systematic review

Yasser M. Kazzaz (), Kholod M. AlAmeer (), Rasha A. AlAhmari (), Mowafa Househ () and Ashraf El-Metwally ()
Additional contact information
Yasser M. Kazzaz: Ministry of National Guards - Health Affairs
Kholod M. AlAmeer: King Abdullah International Medical Research Center
Rasha A. AlAhmari: King Abdullah International Medical Research Center
Mowafa Househ: University of Victoria
Ashraf El-Metwally: Ministry of National Guards - Health Affairs

International Journal of Public Health, 2019, vol. 64, issue 8, No 13, 1223-1232

Abstract: Abstract Objectives The aim of this study is to review the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of domestic violence (DV) in Saudi Arabia. Methods Systematic review utilizing PRISMA guidelines conducted on articles focusing on research related to the epidemiology of domestic violence in Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2017 were identified through electronic databases (PubMed and Embase) and supplemented by cross-referencing and local journal searches. Results Eleven studies were conducted in six cities (Riyadh, Jeddah, Madina, Taif, Arar, and Al-Ahsa). Several screening questionnaires were utilized; four studies used the WHO multi-country study questionnaire and found that the lifetime prevalence of DV ranged between 39.3 and 44.5%. The most frequently reported risk factors for DV were the level of education of both the victim and the spouse and alcohol or drug addiction of the spouse. Conclusions One in every three women in Saudi Arabia is a victim of domestic violence. Strategies to reduce risk factors, prevent DV, care for victims, and mitigate the effects of DV must be adopted by health care agencies in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; Domestic violence; Intimate partner violence; Abuse; Violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00038-019-01303-3 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ijphth:v:64:y:2019:i:8:d:10.1007_s00038-019-01303-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/00038

DOI: 10.1007/s00038-019-01303-3

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Thomas Kohlmann, Nino Künzli and Andrea Madarasova Geckova

More articles in International Journal of Public Health from Springer, Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().