Socioeconomic Inequalities in Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Vietnam
Issued Date
2024-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
08862605
eISSN
15526518
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85190433495
Journal Title
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2024)
Suggested Citation
Dang T.N.H., Le D.D. Socioeconomic Inequalities in Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2024). doi:10.1177/08862605241245375 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/98070
Title
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Vietnam
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Abstract
Although socioeconomic inequality has been identified as a significant factor for violence against women, the connection between these two variables has not been widely recognized and addressed in many countries. This study aims to quantify the degree of socioeconomic inequalities in intimate partner violence (IPV) in Vietnam and investigate the contribution of each determinant factor that contributes to the observed inequality. We utilized the Vietnamese National Survey on Domestic Violence against Women (N = 4,019) for the analysis. Household wealth was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status. We used a concentration index to quantify the degree of socioeconomic inequality in emotional, physical, or sexual violence and a combination of these three types of violence. We further decomposed the concentration index to identify the contribution of each determinant to the observed inequality in IPV. We found that the prevalence of IPV was significantly concentrated among the worse-off across all types of IPV and that disparities in husband’s occupation (48%), women’s education (39%), husband’s education (38%), and class (34%) were the primary factors contributing to increased inequalities in IPV. Our results indicated that higher education and engagement in skilled jobs were highly concentrated among the better-off, creating unequal distribution of these variables across wealth. Policy could mitigate the inequality in IPV by expanding women’s access to education and economic opportunities. However, interventions should target both men and women and within couples because husband’s characteristics also play an important role in explaining socioeconomic inequalities in IPV.