Background: Women abuse is one of the most significant social problems but least discussed due to taboos prevalent in India. Data regarding women abuse are very limited or most often unavailable due to the reluctance among women to disclose its presence.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of different forms of abuse among women in the age group of 1545 years and to study the factors responsible for it.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 women in the age group of 1545 years in the urban areas of Bengaluru. The data were collected by house-to-house visit using a pretested and semi-structured questionnaire administered to the eligible participants. Descriptive statistics and tests of significance were used in the analysis of data using Epi Info, version 7.
Result: Prevalence of abuse was 12.6% with majority suffering from physical violence (93.1%). Majority of the abused women were Hindus (81.8%), belonging to middle class (52.3%) and living in nuclear families (70.5%). Most common reason for abuse was back answering by the victim (40.9%), with slapping being the most common form. Significant association with women abuse was found only in contribution of the women to the family income (p < 0.05), the husbands educational status (p < 0.05), and the witnessing of violence in the womans parental house (p < 0.000).
Conclusion: Women abuse is prevalent in the urban areas with various sociodemographic factors responsible for its occurrence.
Key words: Women abuse, violence against women
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