Ethnic background and alcohol use of the spouse emerge as major risk factors for domestic violence: An observational study from Turkey

Objective: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence in a multi-cultural region of Turkey. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Tepecik district of Izmir, Turkey, from February to June 2013, and comprised women aged 15 years or above. A 21-item questionnaire was used to collect data through interviews. The primary outcome variable was history of domestic violence. Results: There were 602 subjects with a mean age of 42.8 +/- 14.3 years. The mean age of spouses was 45.5 +/- 13.4 and the mean marriage duration was 19.6 +/- 4.4 years. The prevalence of any kind of violence within the preceding month was reported by 355(59%) women. Alcohol use of spouse had an odds ratio of 2.7 compared with non-users (p=0.007). Compared with Turkish background, Kurds had a 3.2-fold risk of being exposed to violence within the preceding year (p=0.010). Conclusion: Independent of other demographic factors, race and alcohol use of the spouse were important factors in domestic violence.