Health Care Providers’ Readiness and Its Associated Factors in Managing Intimate Partner Violence in Public Hospitals of Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2022

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Intimate partner violence is a highly prevalent, serious, sensitive, growing, and preventable public health problem. However, there is a scarcity of evidence showing health providers are prepared to identify and manage intimate partner violence in the study area. This study aimed to assess the perceived readiness and associated factors among healthcare providers who work at public hospitals in Kembeta, Tembaro Zone, South, Ethiopia, 2022. Method: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 healthcare providers working in Kembeta Tembaro zone public hospitals. The dataset was coded and entered using Epidata version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable linear regressions were done and the strength of association was assessed by using unstandardized with 95% CI. Then, a P-value of 0.05 was considered as an independently associated factor for perceived readiness. Results: A total of 410 healthcare providers were included, yielding a response rate of 96.67%. The overall mean perceived readiness was (38.1 ± 6.03). Age [β= 0.01, 95% CI: (0.005, 0.018)], year of experience [β= 0.058, 95% CI: (0.044, 0.072)], had intimate partner violence training [β= 0.32, 95% CI: (0.24, 0.39)] and log10 of perceived knowledge score on IPV management [β= 1.42, 95% CI: (1.09, 1.72)], log10 of attitude score toward IPV [β= 2.19, 95% CI: (1.87, 2.50)] all demonstrated a significant and positive relationship with mean perceived readiness. Conclusion: The comprehensive intimate partner violence training package effectively brings gains in preparedness among healthcare providers in addressing survivors of intimate partner violence.