title: Variation in the Prevalence of Domestic Violence between Neighboring Areas.
abstract: Domestic violence against women is an important health issue, but few studies have focused on city of residence and ethnic differences. To estimate the prevalence of various forms of domestic violence and certain related factors, with a specific focus on city of residence and ethnicity, we studied 1820 married women attending public health centers in 4 large cities in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Islamic Republic of Iran. We used an interviewer-administered questionnaire for data collection. The prevalence of some forms of lifetime domestic violence against women was 47.3%. The prevalence of physical, psychological, and any form of lifetime violence was the highest in Dezful (25.7%, 54.8%, and 57.7%, resp.). For sexual violence, the highest prevalence was reported in Ahvaz (17.7%). The highest prevalence of physical and sexual violence during any point of life was reported by Arab women (25.1% and 16.7%). The experience of all forms of violence was significantly associated with city of residence. Results of regression logistic analysis revealed that all of the forms of violence except psychological violence were statistically significantly associated with ethnicity (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Diabetes Research Centre, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Sedigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nouhjah
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Diabetes Research Centre, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mahmood
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Latifi