Intimate partner violence among women in slum communities in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to describe the prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors among married women in slum communities in Bangkok. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out. A total of 580 married women aged 15 years or older were randomly sampled from seven slum communities in Bangkok. Information on age, education, occupation, income, family size, alcohol use, and experience of partner violence were interviewed. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the violence. Results: The prevalence of intimate partner violence was 27.2 percent. Most of the violent episodes were triggered either by factors related to the couple's personal character, such as having a bad temper (89.9 percent) and being grumpy (83.5 percent), or circumstantial factors, such as financial problems (74.7 percent) and suspicions of adultery (28.5 percent). 12 percent of the abuse were moderate violence and 34.2 percent were severe violence. The factors associated with partner violence included a young age group (younger than 35 years) with adjusted odds-ratio (OR) of 3.13 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.33-7.34) compared to those aged 55 years or older; inadequate income for family expenses (OR 1.97, 95 percent CI 1.20-3.22); and regular alcohol use (OR 3.72, 95 percent CI 2.02-6.89). Conclusion: Intimate partner violence was commonly found in slum communities and is strongly related to the socioeconomic status, personality characteristics and alcohol consumption of the couples.