Intimate partner violence during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: PloS one 2022-12, Vol.17 (12), p.e0275836-e0275836
• Main Authors: Belay, Habtamu Gebrehana, Debebe, Getachew Arage, Ayele, Alemu Degu, Kassa, Bekalu Getnet, Mihretie, Gedefaye Nibret, Bezabih, Lealem Meseret, Worke, Mulugeta Dile
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression; Bias; Biology and Life Sciences; Birth weight; Childbirth & labor; Demographic aspects; Domestic violence; Ethiopia - epidemiology; Family violence; Female; Forecasts and trends; Health aspects; Heterogeneity; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Intimate Partner Violence; Low birth weight; Maternal and infant welfare; Medical ethics; Medicine and Health Sciences; Meta-analysis; Neonates; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Pregnancy; Pregnancy complications; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Pregnancy, Complications of; Pregnant Women; Premature birth; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Prevalence; Public health; Quality assessment; Quality control; Research and Analysis Methods; Science Policy; Search engines; Social Sciences; Software; Statistical analysis; Statistical significance; Stress; Systematic review; Violence; Womens health
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275836

Intimate partner violence is a significant public health issue that affects maternal and neonatal health worldwide. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence of intimate partner violence during pregnancy as well as the factors that contribute to it. As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of intimate partner violence on birth outcomes. International databases including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and CINAHL were used to search primary studies. The quality and strength of the included studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment tool. The studies heterogeneity and publication biases were assessed using I2 statistics and Egger's regression test. The Meta-analysis was carried out using STATA version 16 software. A total of nine hundred and fifty-eight articles were retrieved from various databases, and seventeen articles were included in the review. The pooled prevalence of intimate violence during pregnancy in Ethiopia was 32.23% (95% CI 28.02% -36.45%). During pregnancy, intimate partner violence was a significant predictor of low birth weight (AOR: 3.69, 95%CI 1.61-8.50) and preterm birth (AOR: 2.23, 95%CI 1.64-3.04). One in every three pregnant women experiences intimate partner violence. Women who experienced intimate partner violence during their pregnancy are more likely to experience adverse outcomes such as premature delivery and low birth weight infants.