Affiliation:
1. Care India
2. Bhabha Atomic Research Center Hospital
3. Nalanda Medical College and Hospital
4. The George Institute of Global Health
5. Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College and Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital
6. Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals
7. Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute
8. Karolinska Institutet
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) do not find help-seeking an easy process, especially since much of IPV is normalized. Recognizing the violence, making a decision to seek help and selecting a source of help constitute a three-staged process for help-seeking. Each of these stages is layered by one or multiple barriers at the individual, relationship, household, or community levels. This study aims to identify factors across these levels that associate with help-seeking by women facing IPV in India. It also explores any association between the type of IPV faced (physical, sexual or both) and the source of help (formal and informal).Methods: We analysed data from the 5th round of the National Family Health Survey (India) (2019-21). From a sample size of 72,320 women aged 18–49 years, we categorised variables at individual, relationship-household and community levels, and used STATA 14.2 software for reporting prevalence ratios with confidence intervals. Significant variables were identified based on p-values. Poisson Regression was performed to determine the factors associated with the help-seeking behaviour.Results: We found that 14.2% of women who faced IPV sought any help. Husband’s consumption of alcohol and witnessing parental IPV associated with increased odds of help-seeking. A significant proportion of 11% women sought formal help. Help-seeking from the police was higher by women facing only sexual IPV than by women facing only physical IPV. Among all women who sought help, an overwhelming 96% preferred to approach the natal family.Conclusion: In the 5th round of the NFHS, 14% women who faced IPV sought help. Husband’s alcohol consumption and witnessing parental IPV increased the chances for help-seeking. Among formal help providers, the police were the most accessed source, and especially for sexual IPV. This underlines the likely positive consequences of the several awareness and capacity building trainings of the police that the state has prioritized since the previous survey. We reconfirm the need to continue these capacity building investments of formal help providers by the state.
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC
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