title: Does gender inequity increase the risk of intimate partner violence among women? Evidence from a national Bangladeshi sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence from developing countries regarding the association between gender inequity and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in women has been suggestive but inconclusive. Using nationally representative population-based data from Bangladesh, we examined the association between multidimensional aspects of gender inequity and the risk of IPV.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analyses were based on the responses of 4,467 married women. The main explanatory variable was gender inequity, which reflects the multidimensional aspects of women's autonomy and the relationship inequality between women and their partner. The experience of physical and/or sexual IPV was the main outcome variable of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 53% of married Bangladeshi women experienced physical and/or sexual violence from their husbands. In the adjusted models, women who had a higher level of autonomy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.48; 99% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.61), a particularly high level of economic-decision-making autonomy (AOR 0.12; 99% CI 0.08-0.17), and a higher level of non-supportive attitudes towards wife beating or raping (AOR 0.61; 99% CI 0.47-0.83) were less likely to report having experienced IPV. Education level, age at marriage, and occupational discrepancy between spouses were also found to be significant predictors of IPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, dimensions of gender inequities were significant predictors of IPV among married women in Bangladesh. An investigation of the causal link between multidimensional aspects of gender inequity and IPV will be critical to developing interventions to reduce the risk of IPV and should be considered a public health research priority.
authors.affiliation: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mosiur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaoruko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seino
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kizuki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D063507:Sexism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018454:Spouses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult