Volume 59, Issue 327, March 2023

Intimate partner violence: A case study of pregnant women attending antenatal care in selected sites, Lusaka, Zambia

Chipampa Kashimbaya Tembo¹, Anitha Menon², Sidney OC Mwaba^2♦, Alice Ngoma-Hazemba¹

¹University of Zambia, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Zambia
²University of Zambia, Department of Psychology, Zambia

^♦Corresponding author
University of Zambia, Department of Psychology Zambia

ABSTRACT

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during or around the time of pregnancy has been associated with many adverse health outcomes for the pregnant woman and her baby due to the direct trauma as well as the physiological effects of stress and this has an effect on fetal growth and development. Antenatal care visits provide a window of opportunity for identifying women suffering from violence during pregnancy and offering them the support and counseling needed to prevent or reduce adverse effects. Clinical screens and chart prompts have been used and validated in clinical settings in several other countries however, in Zambia this is the first time the assessment was being piloted. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of IPV using the Danger Assessment (DA) among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Bwafwano center in Chazanga compound, Lusaka, Zambia. We used a case study approach and the participants were from Bwafwano Health Centre in a high-density area of Chazanga compound in Lusaka, Zambia. A total of 147 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) were screened over a period of three months after which nine (9) who experienced IPV were included in the study. In-depth interviews were also conducted with five key informants. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded based on predetermined themes guided by the objectives. The data were analyzed manually using thematic analysis. The findings showed that two of the women had scores of eight and above, revealing ‘increasing’ danger, while the rest scored below eight showing ‘variable’ danger. The findings highlighted physical, economic and emotional abuse as the most common types of IPV. Causes of abuse were related to cultural expectations of abuse to be normal, lack of financial empowerment, fear of being divorced if abuse were reported, fear of being shamed by the community and abuse of alcohol by the male abusers and women. The community lacked facilities to attend to the victims of IPV except the police victim support unity (VSU) which had recently been introduced. Women preferred to go to the Community Health committee or family members to resolve their issues. In conclusion, IPV is a key risk factor among pregnant women. Using the DA, information about the abuse was highlighted and could inform interventions. Interventions should not only include screening of women for IPV but also help to provide for the safety of the mother and baby. Further, screening will raise awareness of GBV among pregnant women, minimize incidence and initiate preventive programs to mitigate severe harm and long-term implications.

Keywords: Gender Based Violence, Risk assessment, pregnant women

Discovery, 2023, 59, e35d1032

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Published: March 2023