https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518796523
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
1–16
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0886260518796523
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Original Research
Prevalence of Emotional
and Physical Intimate
Partner Violence Among
Married Women in
Pakistan
Meesha Iqbal
1
and Zafar Fatmi
1
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects millions of women across the
world, and Pakistan is no exception. However, there is wide variance in
reported frequencies worldwide and even within the same population.
No standardized representative national and subnational estimates were
available for IPV in Pakistan. We analyzed 3,666 ever-married women (15-
49 years), from the most recent Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey
(PDHS; 2012-2013), to determine the prevalence of emotional and physical
violence among women in Pakistan and its major subpopulations. The
Conflicts Tactics Scale (CTS) was used to ascertain violence. Furthermore,
we examined the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, which
have the potential to increase the risk of emotional and physical violence.
Weighted multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine the
association of IPV with the potential risk factors using Stata version 13.0.
The prevalence of emotional and physical violence was, respectively, 36.4%
(95% confidence interval [CI]: [33.8, 39.1]) and 18.4% (95% CI: [16.4, 20.6])
in Pakistan. The frequency of emotional and physical violence was highest
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK; 54.9% and 36.4%) followed by Balochistan
(50.0% and 25.5%), Punjab (35.9% and 15.8%), and Sindh (24.7% and 13.3%)
1
The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Corresponding Author:
Meesha Iqbal, Post Graduate Trainee, Department of Community Health Sciences, The Aga
Khan University, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, Pakistan.
Email: meesha.iqbal@aku.edu
796523JIV XX X 10.1177/0886260518796523Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceIqbal and Fatmi
research-article 2018