Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and Maternal Morbidity in South Ethiopia: A Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is a universal public health problem. However, its link with maternal morbidity is not well understood in Ethiopia. Thus, the study assessed its effect on maternal morbidity during delivery and postpartum in South Ethiopia. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 1535 pregnant women. Pregnant women with intimate partner violence during pregnancy were enrolled as the “exposed group”, and pregnant women without intimate partner violence were registered as the “unexposed group”. A total of 711 exposed and 774 unexposed women were included in the analysis of this study. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data entry and analysis were done in STATA Version 14. A generalized linear model with a log link function using the binreg command was applied to examine the effect of intimate partner violence on maternal morbidity. RESULTS: The level of maternal morbidity during delivery and postpartum was higher among women with intimate partner violence than women without intimate partner violence (34.0% vs 26.6%). After adjusting for confounders, women with intimate partner violence during pregnancy were more likely to experience maternal morbidity than women without intimate partner violence (aRR=4.45; 95% CI: 3.15, 6.28). Psychological violence was also identified as a risk factor for maternal morbidity (aRR=2.17; 95% CI: 1.76, 2.67). Likewise, women with physical violence were more likely to experience maternal morbidity than those without physical violence (aRR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.53). CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated a higher level of maternal morbidity among women with intimate partner violence. Psychological violence, physical violence, and intimate partner violence during pregnancy were found to increase the risk of maternal morbidity. Strengthening the prevention and prompt management of intimate partner violence during pregnancy may significantly reduce the incidence of maternal morbidity.