Intimate Partner Violence among Mothers of Children with Sickle Cell Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of 2018 Nigeria DHS Data

Abstract

Background: The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) collected data on the experience of intimate partner violence  (IPV) among women aged 15-49 years and the genotype of their children aged 6-59 months. We performed a retrospective cohort  analysis to ascertain if having a child with sickle cell disease (SCD) predisposes women to IPV.

Methods: Eighty-five mothers of children  living with SCD were compared with 320 mothers of children living without SCD after matching for age, number of living children,  religion, place of residence and wealth index. The prevalence rates of IPV and the relative risks (RRs) of experiencing controlling  behaviour, emotional, physical, sexual and any form of IPV in the 12 months preceding the survey were calculated.

Results: Compared to  mothers of children without SCD, mothers of children living with SCD were not at greater risk of experiencing controlling behaviour  (RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.54–1.49), emotional violence (RR=1.09; 95% CI=0.78–1.53), physical violence (RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.38–1.48), sexual  violence (RR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.31– 2.56) or any form of IPV (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.71–1.37).

Conclusion: The study did not find sufficient  evidence for increased risk of IPV among mothers of children living with SCD, despite the additional health, psychosocial and financial  burdens associated with raising a child with the disease. Further research is needed to address the limitations of this study and to  carefully investigate the relationship between having a child with SCD and the experience of IPV among women.