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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/957

Title: Intimate partner violence and infant morbidity: evidence of an association from a population-based study in Eastern Uganda in 2003
Authors: Karamagi, Charles A. S.
Tumwine, James K.
Tylleskar, Thorkild
Heggenhougen, Kristian
Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence
Child Mortality
Infants
Women
Immunization
Nutritional status
Issue Date: Nov-2007
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
Citation: Karamagi, C. A. S., Tumwine, J. K., Tylleskar, T. & Heggenhougen, K. (2007). Intimate partner violence and infant morbidity: evidence of an association from a population-based study in eastern Uganda in 2003. BMC Pediatrics 2007, 7:34.
Abstract: Background: Although recent studies suggest that there is an association between intimate partner violence and child mortality, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. It is against this background that as a secondary objective, we set out to explore whether an association exists between intimate partner violence and illness in infants. Methods: We conducted a population based household survey in Mbale, Eastern Uganda in 2003. Participants were 457 women (with 457 infants) who consented to participate in the study. We measured socio-demographics of women and occurrence of intimate partner violence. We measured socio-demographics, immunization, nutritional status, and illness in the previous two weeks of the children. Results: The mean age of the women was 25 years (SD 5.7) while the mean age of the infants was 6 months (SD 3.5). The prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence was 54% (95% CI 48%–60%). During the previous two weeks, 50% (95% CI 50%–54%) of the children had illness (fever, diarrhoea, cough and fast breathing). Lifetime intimate partner violence was associated with infant illness (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.8) and diarrhoea (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.4). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that infant illnesses (fever, diarrhoea, cough and fast breathing) are associated with intimate partner violence, and provide insights into previous reports that have shown an association between intimate partner violence and child mortality, suggesting possible underlying mechanisms. Our findings also highlight the importance of intimate partner violence on the health of children, and the need for further research in this area.
Description: © 2007 Karamagi et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/7/34
URI: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/7/34
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-7-34
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/957
ISSN: 1471-2431
Appears in Collections:Research Articles (Health-Sciences)

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