Intimate Partner Physical Violence During Pregnancy in Kenya: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Physical abuse during pregnancy has been linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of intimate partner physical violence (physical IPV) during pregnancy in Kenya and assess its associated sociodemographic factors. Secondary data analysis was performed on cross-sectional Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data conducted in 2014. The sample size for this study was 3193 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who completed the domestic violence module, after excluding missing values and applying the weight factor. Descriptive analysis was carried out and a ReLogit model was used to assess the relationship between physical IPV during pregnancy and sociodemographic characteristics. About six percent of women reported physical IPV during pregnancy. The study finds that the probability of physical IPV during pregnancy is higher among young women aged < 25 years (ME = 0.035; 95% CI 0.0124–0.0631) with a primary education level (ME = 0.011; 95% CI 0.0005–0.0218) who have five children or more (ME = 0.048, 95% CI 0.0271–0.0739) and whose partner was an alcoholic (ME = 0.064, 95% CI 0.0457–0.0847) and/or exhibited coercive control (ME = 0.037, 95% CI 0.0241–0.0512). Even though quantitative research is crucial in determining factors that influence physical IPV during pregnancy, there is a need for qualitative inquiries into women’s experiences of physical IPV as well as related negative pregnancy outcomes in Kenya.