Social-ecological correlates of intimate partner violence experienced by married women in a conflict-affected region

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a widespread issue experienced by women globally, with significantly high levels of prevalence and detrimental effects. In low- and middle-income, conflict-affected countries, the issue of IPV is even more pervasive as these societies may lack protection and justice for women. Thus, the present study had two aims: (1) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the four-dimensional Violence Against Women Instrument (VAWI-4D) among Kurdish women, and (2) to examine how multi-level factors, based on the ecological framework of gender based violence, are associated with women’s exposure to IPV. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 720 women residing in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We utilized VAWI-4D to measure experiences of IPV and a multi-level ecological factors questionnaire to capture relevant social-ecological variables related to IPV. The results showed that VAWI-4D is a suitable tool for measuring IPV in this context, as it demonstrated adequate psychometric properties (reliability: α = 0.927, ω = 0.928). The prevalence rate of IPV among the sample was 69.3%, with coercive control being the most common form of IPV, followed by psychological, physical, and sexual violence. Regression analysis showed that age at first marriage, attitudes toward gender roles, ACEs (individual), high spouse education level, spouse’s employment status, spouse’s alcohol consumption, decision-making power index (relationship), experience of exile/displacement (community), and socio-economic status (societal) were significant predictors of IPV. The results provide evidence that IPV is highly prevalent among our sample of Kurdish women and is influenced by factors across social-ecological levels.