Lifetime and periodic prevalence and characteristics of violence against women committed by their alcohol-dependent partners – a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction/Objective We aimed to investigate the lifetime and periodic prevalence (during a year) and characteristics of violence against women and health status of women whose partners have been treated for alcohol dependence. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among women whose male partners were alcoholdependent and admitted to hospital for the inpatient treatment. Exposure to physical and sexual violence was measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2). Mental health status was measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), suicidal risk (using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview or MINI scale), and alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical methods. We also constructed two logistic regression models to study associations between violence and socioeconomic status, and violence and health-related variables. Results The lifetime prevalence of physical violence committed by alcohol-dependent partners against women was 65.4%, while the periodic prevalence (during 12 months prior to the study) was 46.2% for physical, 20.2% for sexual, and 18% for both types of violence. No women were in risk of harmful alcohol consumption. Violence was more frequent against women not living in urban areas [odds ratio (OR) 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–5.94, in the univariate model], and among women with moderate/ severe depression (OR 12.34, 95% CI 2.26–67.33, in the multivariate model). Conclusion Alcohol-dependent men are very often violent toward their spouses, and inpatient treatment presents an opportunity to work with them on raising awareness on the unacceptability of violence against women. © 2021, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.