Prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence in women living in eight indigenous regions of Mexico

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 82; pp. 51 - 57
• Main Authors: Valdez-Santiago, Rosario, Híjar, Martha, Rojas Martínez, Rosalba, Ávila Burgos, Leticia, Arenas Monreal, María de la Luz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2013; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographics; Domestic violence; Female; Health services; Humans; Indigenous population; Intimate partner violence; Medical sciences; Mexico; Mexico - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Native peoples; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public policy; Qualitative Research; Regression analysis; Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Victimology; Women; Young Adult; Central America; Mexico; America; Women; Mexico; Indigenous population; Intimate partner violence; Human; Marital relation; Prevalence; Victimology; Mistreatment; Female; Population; Social medicine; Autochthonous; Woman; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.01.016

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) in eight indigenous regions of Mexico, as well as the socioeconomic and demographic variables that are associated with this phenomenon. A cross-sectional study was conducted in indigenous regions that have a greater availability of government medical services than other indigenous regions. Interviews were conducted with female patients (n = 3287) seeking medical care in either of the two public health institutions in these regions. The severity of intimate partner violence (SIPV) during the previous 12 months was measured using a 33-item scale. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the factors associated with SIPV. Intimate partner violence prevalence was 25.5% (95%CI 24.93–25.26). Female partner variables such as personal history of child abuse (ORA 3.48; 95%CI 2.48–4.89) and work outside the home (ORA 1.74; 95%CI 1.22–2.49) and male partner variables such as unemployment (ORA 2.31; 95%CI 1.34–3.97) and a high frequency of alcohol use (ORA 13.35; 95%CI 7.02–25.39) were the main predictors for IPV. We found a three-fold higher risk of IPV for women living in the Los Altos de Chiapas region (ORA 3.01; 95%CI 1.88–4.79) compared with women in the Mayan region (reference category). Such results should aid decision makers in the development of extended public policies and interventions to address violence against women in the indigenous populations of Mexico. ► Specific indigenous regions were found to have different risks for severe intimate partner violence in Mexico. ► A personal history of child abuse and employment outside the home were strongly associated with IPV. ► High frequency of alcohol use and unemployment were highly associated with IPV among indigenous men.