Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and Preterm Births Among Women Who Delivered at Kenyatta National Hospital, Between July and August 2022. A Case Control Study

Abstract

Background –Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem. In pregnancy it leads to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes such as preterm birth, which is an utmost contributor of neonatal morbidity and mortality. There is limited data which can be inferred to appreciate the role of violence during pregnancy and preterm births, in Kenyatta National Hospital. Study objectives- This study was conducted to determine the association of intimate partner violence in pregnancy (IPVp) and preterm births among pregnant women who had delivered in Kenyatta National Hospital. Study location- This study was conducted in the postnatal wards of the Kenyatta National Teaching and Referral hospital, the largest facility in the country. It has over 12,000 deliveries annually, and an average of over 1000 preterm deliveries annually. Methodology- This was an unmatched facility- based case control study. The study recruited 144 mothers who delivered in KNH between July and August 2022, in a 1:1 ratio between cases and controls. Intimate partner violence occurring during pregnancy was determined using a tool adapted from the W.H.O Multi country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the association of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and preterm births. Both crude and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A p-value of < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results- In this study, the overall prevalence of intimate partner violence in pregnancy was 35.42%, with prevalence in cases being 48.6% and 22.2% in controls. Those who had any IPV were more predisposed to have preterm births, however this was not statistically significant. AOR 2.0 95%CI (0.40-10.51) P value 0.0387. Conclusion- Intimate partner violence in pregnancy, still remains rampant, affecting every 1 in 3 women. Though not statistically significant in causing preterm births, sustained efforts should be carried out to ensure prevention, screening, treatment and follow up of affected women.