Abuse from in-laws and associations with attempts to control reproductive decisions among rural women in Côte d'Ivoire: a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To document the lifetime prevalence of abuse from in-laws (both nonphysical maltreatment and physical violence), the forms of in-law abuse and reproductive control, and the relationship between experiences of in-law abuse and reproductive control among partnered women in rural Côte d'Ivoire.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study using baseline data (October 2010) from a randomised controlled trial examining socio-economic interventions on reduction of violence against Ivorian women.


METHODS
Rural Côte d'Ivoire.


METHODS
A total of 981 Ivorian women aged 18 years and older who reported having a male partner and a current source of stable income.


METHODS
Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression.


METHODS
Lifetime, in-law-perpetrated reproductive control.


RESULTS
More than one in four (27.0%) women reported experiencing lifetime in-law abuse. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, in-law abuse was significantly associated with in-law-perpetrated reproductive control (adjusted odds ratio 6.9; 95% confidence interval 3.9-12.2; P < 0.0001). Religion and having fewer pregnancies were also associated with reporting in-law-perpetrated reproductive control.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased efforts are needed to involve in-laws in programmes that seek to reduce gender-based violence against women and improve women's reproductive health.
Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. jhumka.gupta@yale.edu
J
J
Gupta
K
K
Falb
D
D
Kpebo
J
J
Annan
D000328:Adult; D003068:Coercion; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology*; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D012067:Religion; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012423:Rural Health