Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Jirina Foltysova,

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) is one of the most hidden but prevalent public health concerns affecting women of childbearing age in Africa, despite ongoing prevention initiatives. Lack of power and control in the household is a significant precursor of DV in women, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. While poverty, gender inequality, and societal norms have been identified as directly related to DV, the factors of type of union and reproductive health choice remain unexplored. This quantitative study with a cross-sectional design assessed the relationship between the type of union, female contraceptive use, and type of DV amongst women in Sierra Leone. Anchored on the social-ecological model, a retrospective secondary dataset from the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey in Sierra Leone was used. The dataset included 3,440 women in Sierra Leone between the age of 15 to 49, of which 930 women were selected from the northern region. Using multinomial logistic regression, the analyses revealed a strong connection between age (p < 0.001), type of union (p < 0.001), and female contraceptive use (p = 0.046) under the physical and emotional abuse categories of DV. Findings may be applicable in developing DV interventions that target age-specific groups, type of union, and female contraceptive use that bring about positive social change within the broader community by empowering women of childbearing age to speak up and potentially fostering the development of programs to protect the reproductive health choices of women in Sierra Leone.

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