TRIGGERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was a cross-sectional survey aimed at determining the triggers of Domestic Violence against Pregnant Women in Rivers State. The Feminist, Social learning and Ecological theories provided the theoretical anchor for the study. The population for the study was 327, 639 pregnant women in the State. Data were collected from a sample of 2,388 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in365 primary health centers, 37secondary health institutions and the two tertiary hospitals in Rivers State selected through a multistage sampling procedure. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured and validated44 item-questionnaire titledTriggers of Domestic Violence against Pregnant Women Questionnaire (TDVAPWQ). The instrument has a reliability index of 0.83 obtained using the test-re-test method and Pearson Product Moment Correlation co-efficient. The findings from the study revealed multiple triggers of domestic violence against pregnant women in Rivers State including past experience of DV (27.22%),negative influence of in-laws (16.80%), drug and substance abuse (15.62%), pregnancy induced factors (12.70%), intimate partner infidelity (9.90%), STD/HIV/AIDS positive status (4.26%), and male child preference (4.20%). However, past experience of domestic violence and pregnancy induced factors (3.88% respectively) were the most frequent triggers. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that Government should collaborate with non-governmental organizations to gather data and implement the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Acts, towards eradicating DV during pregnancy in the State.