Citation

Sinha D, Srivastava S, T M, Kumar P. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23(1): e108.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/s12905-023-02252-z

PMID

36918886

PMCID

PMC10015729

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of violence against women. IPV against adolescents and young adult married women (15-19 years only) is poorly understood and not much researched as compared to their adult counterparts. The present study investigates the changes in multiple forms of IPV and tries to understand its association with different individual factors.

METHODS: The study used longitudinal data from Understanding the lives of Adolescent and Young Adults study (UDAYA), conducted in 2015-16 (wave 1) and 2018-19 (wave 2). The survey was done in two Indian states namely, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The sample size of the present study was 4,254 married adolescent girls aged 15-19 years. Multiple forms of IPV were the outcome variables of this study. A random effect regression analysis was used to estimate the association of changes in physical, sexual, and emotional violence with decision-making power and mobility restrictions along with other covariates.

RESULTS: Findings show that physical and emotional violence have increased from wave 1 to wave 2. Furthermore, married adolescent girls who took decisions alone/with others were less likely to suffer from IPV (β=-0.02; p < 0.05). Adolescent girls who agreed with the perception about wife-beating were more likely to report physical (β = 0.07; p < 0.05), sexual (β = 0.13; p < 0.05), and emotional violence (β = 0.14; p < 0.05). The risk of IPV was significantly more among adolescent girls whose family paid dowry compared to those who did not pay it (β = 0.04; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Interventions against those social norms that harm any female adolescents' status in society and negatively impact their educational attainment should be adopted, simultaneously, with programs that promote gender equality in all aspects of their life.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Humans; Female; Risk Factors; Young Adult; Violence; Prevalence; Intimate Partner Violence; Longitudinal study; Sexual Behavior; *Intimate Partner Violence; *Marriage; Married adolescent girls; Sexual Partners/psychology; UDAYA