Citation: Rivera Rivera, L.; Séris Martínez, M.; Reynales Shigematsu, L.M.; Gómez García, J.A.; Austria Corrales, F.; Toledano-Toledano, F.; Jiménez Tapia, A.; Tejadilla Orozco, D.I.; Astudillo García, C.I. Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico. Healthcare 2023, 11, 419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ healthcare11030419 Academic Editor: Daniele Giansanti Received: 6 December 2022 Revised: 22 January 2023 Accepted: 24 January 2023 Published: 1 February 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). healthcare Article Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico Leonor Rivera Rivera 1 , Marina Séris Martínez 1 , Luz Myriam Reynales Shigematsu 1 , José Alberto Gómez García 2 , Fernando Austria Corrales 3 , Filiberto Toledano-Toledano 4,5,6, * , Alberto Jiménez Tapia 7 , Diana Iris Tejadilla Orozco 2 and Claudia I. Astudillo García 8 1 Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico 2 Secretariado Técnico del Consejo Nacional de Salud Mental (STCONSAME), Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 06900, Mexico 3 Comisión Nacional para la Mejora Continua de la Educación (MEJOREDU), Mexico City 03900, Mexico 4 Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Basada en Evidencias, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, National Institute of Health, Mexico City 06720, Mexico 5 Unidad de Investigación Sociomédica, Intituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City 14389, Mexico 6 Dirección de Investigación y Diseminación del Conocimiento, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias e Innovación para la Formación de Comunidad Científica, INDEHUS, Mexico City 14389, Mexico 7 Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM), Mexico City 14370, Mexico 8 Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica (SAP), Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 11410, Mexico * Correspondence: filiberto.toledano.phd@gmail.com; Tel.: +52-558-009-4677 Abstract: This study measured the prevalence of cases of domestic violence against women and some associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Data were collected through a remote survey during 2020. The sample included 47,819 women aged 15 years and older. Jointpoint regression and logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of violence was 11.5%, which decreased in July and subsequently increased. The associated factors were being unemployed (OR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.89–2.16); being partially and totally quarantined (OR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.43–1.75 and OR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.32–1.63); being a caregiver of children; being a caregiver of elderly and/or suffering from a chronic illness (OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.19–1.36; OR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.33–1.53; OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.47–1.73); losing a family member to COVID-19 (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.13–1.41); and binge drinking (OR = 1.94; 95%CI 1.78–2.12). The confinement measures increased gender inequalities, economic problems and workload which further evidenced violence against women. Keywords: violence against women; COVID-19; isolation; caregivers; binge drinking 1. Introduction Violence is based on a power imbalance in relationships, it involves the use of any kind of force as an attempt to undermine the will of others [1]. Violence has a major impact on the lives of millions of people globally. It is among the leading causes of death in the population between 15–44 years of age; it represents a considerable burden for health systems and, if prevented, its negative footprint may be significantly reduced [2]. Violence against women (VAW) is a problem that blocks the inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development of society; it is a global public health matter and a clear violation of human rights [3] affecting women’s physical, sexual, and mental health, as well as the social well-being of all the victims [4,5]. VAW also leads to direct and indirect violent deaths, causes morbidity for a multiplicity of health problems, and is linked to a number of risk behaviors [6]. Aggressors may exercise this type of violence in different environments or spaces, including the private and family space of the home [7], which does not necessarily represent a safe space for women [4]. Evidence shows that direct/indirect exposure to Healthcare 2023, 11, 419. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030419 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare