Insights Into Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Predictive Factors in Ghana MICS 2018

Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a serious public health issue, particularly in Ghana. It is crucial to create evidence-based, preventative measures to stop this practice. The study empirically investigated the factors related to married women's perceptions of wife-beating or IPV. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Goal 5.2) advocate for its elimination by governments, hence the study to monitor the progress being made. The study employed cross-sectional secondary data from Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted in 2018 with a sample of 14237 women aged 15-49. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions, and results were presented in odds ratios (OR) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Women's justification for IPV was correlated with socio-demographic factors such as education level, marital status, age of the woman, area of residence (rural), ethnic background, and economic disadvantage (wealth status). Higher educated women (OR 0.248 [95% CI 0.185-0.332, p 0.001]) were less likely to justify IPV than women with no/less formal education. Women who were in the richest quintile (OR 0.766 [95% CI 0.634-0.926, p = 0.006]) were less likely than those in the poorest/lowest quintile to rationalize/justify intimate partner violence. In terms of ethnicity of the household head, the Ga/Dangme (OR 0.86 [95% CI 0.714-1.036, p= 0.112]) had lower odds of justifying IPV compared to the Akan. The government, through the Ministry of Gender and Child Protection and women’s advocacy groups, should devise strategies, programs, and policies to empower women through formal education and economically through job training and employment support for women and victims to help them achieve financial independence and reduce negative attitudes and prevalence.