Intimate partner violence as a predictor of marital disruption in rural Rakai, Uganda: a longitudinal study

Jennifer A. Wagman (), Blake Charvat, Marie E. Thoma (), Anthony Ndyanabo (), Fred Nalugoda (), Joseph Ssekasanvu (), Grace Kigozi (), David Serwadda (), Joseph Kagaayi (), Maria J. Wawer () and Ronald H. Gray ()
Additional contact information
Jennifer A. Wagman: University of California San Diego
Blake Charvat: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Marie E. Thoma: University of Maryland
Anthony Ndyanabo: Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Fred Nalugoda: Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Joseph Ssekasanvu: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Grace Kigozi: Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda Virus Research Institute
David Serwadda: Makerere University School of Public Health
Joseph Kagaayi: Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Maria J. Wawer: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Ronald H. Gray: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

International Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 61, issue 8, No 13, 970 pages

Abstract: Abstract Objectives We assessed the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and union disruption (divorce or separation) in the rural Ugandan setting of Rakai District. Methods We analyzed longitudinal data collected from April 1999 to June 2006, from 6834 women (15–49 years) living in 50 communities in Rakai. Participants were either officially married, traditionally married or in a consensual union during one or more surveys and completed at least one follow-up survey. The primary outcome was union disruption through divorce or separation from the primary sexual partner. Results Past year IPV ranged from 6.49 % (severe physical abuse) to 31.99 % (emotional abuse). Severe physical IPV was significantly associated with divorce/separation, after adjusting for other covariates (aOR = 1.80, 95 % CI 1.01–3.22). Another predictor of union disruption was a woman having two or more sexual partners in the past year (aOR = 8.42, 95 % CI 5.97–11.89). Factors protecting against divorce/separation included an increasing number of co-resident biological children and longer duration of union. Conclusions IPV, particularly severe physical abuse, is an important risk factor for union disruption. Marital counseling, health education and interventions should address the role of IPV on the wellbeing of women and the stability of couples in Uganda.

Keywords: Intimate partner violence; Union dissolution; Divorce; Global health; Longitudinal analysis; Sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1007/s00038-016-0891-z

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