Intimate partner physical violence experiences of saudi arabian women

Introduction: Intimate partner physical violence against women (IPPVAW) is a serious public health concern with global implications. The Ecological Model provides a comprehensive framework for the investigation of factors associated with IPPVAW. Studies addressing IPPVAW in Saudi Arabia are limited and have not explored risk and protective factors for IPPVAW. This was a cross-sectional study investigating personal, interpersonal, community, and societal factors associated with IPPVAW as well as perceived health outcomes. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 200 ever-married women who attended six primary healthcare centers (PHC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Structured personal interviews were conducted with consenting women using an adapted version of World Health Organizations survey (version 10.0) for violence against women. Results: Nearly 46 percent of women were subjected to IPPVAW. While 18.5% of those who reported IPPVAW also reported IPPVAW-related injuries. Alcohol and drug use by husbands, marital conflict, male dominance, husband's employment status, and husband's involvement with physical fights with other men were significantly associated with IPPVAW (p<0.05). Most women accepted physical chastisement of wives (93%). Significant numbers of those who reported IPPVAW did not disclose the real cause of IPPVAW-related injuries to healthcare professionals. Women who reported IPPVAW had significant increases in suicidal thoughts (p<0.000), in perceptions of recent pain & discomfort (p =0.046), and in recent medication use for sadness (p=0.009) when compared to those who did not report IPPVAW. Conclusion: IPPVAW in Saudi Arabia requires better management in PHC settings to identify victims of abuse and to improve service provision.