EMPOWERMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AMONG MARRIED WOMEN IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Psychological Intimate Partner Violence (PIPV) is caused by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics and has adverse health implications on the victims. Despite its health effects, it has been given less attention in the literature compared with physical and sexual types of violence. Thus, this study was designed to examine the relationship between women empowerment and PIPV, Oyo state. The study was a cross sectional study of 1000 married women of reproductive age which were randomly selected from Ibadan North Local Government using a 3- stage sampling techniques. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from eligible respondents. Women empowerment score was constructed for each woman categorized into low, medium and high level. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and binary logistic regression models were used for data analysis at 5% level of significance. Mean age of the respondent was 33.17±6.98 years, 24.5% and 57.6% had primary and secondary education. Urban residents constituted 61.1 % of the respondents. Prevalence of PIPV was 95% while 11.7%, 66.1 %, 22.2% were found to be highly, moderately and less empowered respectively Level of education, ethnic group, monthly income, type of marriage, Position among wives, husband's level of education, husband's occupation, history of psychological violence between parents had significant association with PIPV but empowerment was found to be insignificantly associated with PIPV The identified predictors of high PIPV were ethnic group, income, level of education of husbands, type of marriage, History of psychological violence between parents. Women who reported that they earn more than 18000 naira in a month were 1.87 times more likely to had experienced high PIPV than those who earn less than 18000 naira (OR= OR= 1.873, C.I= 1.378-2.548, P<0.000). Also women who did not experienced psychological violence between parent were less likely to experience high PIPV(OR= 0.419, 95% C.I= 0.312-0.563). The prevalence of PIPV was high in IBNLGA but women empowerment was not related to PIPV. Health programmes on how to avoid PIPV should be carried out in IBNLGA.