title: Prevalence of and reasons for domestic violence among women from low socioeconomic communities of Karachi.
abstract: We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence and identify the reasons for it among 400 married women aged 15-45 years in low socioeconomic areas in urban Karachi. Data were collected with a pretested questionnaire. The prevalence of verbal abuse was 97.5% by the husband and 97.0% by the in-laws; the prevalence of physical abuse was 80.0% and 57.5% by the husband and in-laws respectively. Financial issues were the commonest reason for domestic violence followed by infertility and not having a son. The prevalence of domestic violence in our sample of women is high. There is a need to address this problem with efforts from health workers, policy-makers, nongovernmental organizations and others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan. tazeen.ali@aku.edu
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bustamante-Gavino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D018585:Battered Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015984:Causality; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018454:Spouses / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology