%0 Journal Article
%T Intimate partner violence and infant morbidity: evidence of an association from a population-based study in eastern Uganda in 2003
%A Charles AS Karamagi
%A James K Tumwine
%A Thorkild Tylleskar
%A Kristian Heggenhougen
%J BMC Pediatrics
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2431-7-34
%X We conducted a population based household survey in Mbale, eastern Uganda in 2003. Participants were 457 women (with 457 infants) who consented to participate in the study. We measured socio-demographics of women and occurrence of intimate partner violence. We measured socio-demographics, immunization, nutritional status, and illness in the previous two weeks of the children.The mean age of the women was 25 years (SD 5.7) while the mean age of the infants was 6 months (SD 3.5). The prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence was 54% (95% CI 48%¨C60%). During the previous two weeks, 50% (95% CI 50%¨C54%) of the children had illness (fever, diarrhoea, cough and fast breathing). Lifetime intimate partner violence was associated with infant illness (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2¨C2.8) and diarrhoea (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2¨C3.4).Our findings suggest that infant illnesses (fever, diarrhoea, cough and fast breathing) are associated with intimate partner violence, and provide insights into previous reports that have shown an association between intimate partner violence and child mortality, suggesting possible underlying mechanisms. Our findings also highlight the importance of intimate partner violence on the health of children, and the need for further research in this area.Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women[1]. Intimate partner violence assumed international recognition initially because of its violation of women's rights. In recent years there has been accumulating evidence of the consequences of intimate partner violence on the health of women including detrimental reproductive health outcomes [2-10]. In Uganda, a hospital-based study reported that 57% of pregnant women experienced intimate partner violence [11].However, the effect of intimate partner violence on children has received limited attention. Violence prior to or during pregnancy has been associated with premature birth, foetal injury and low birth weight[3,9,10,12]. Studies have s
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/7/34