Risk Factors for Injuries From Physical Violence in African Women in the Gambia.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical violence against women is a major public health problem in African countries; however, no studies have focused on factors associated with violent injuries to women in Africa. OBJECTIVES: A matched case-control study was conducted to investigate risk factors for injuries from physical violence against African women in The Gambia. METHODS: Over a 12-month study period, study participants were recruited from emergency departments of eight government-managed health care facilities. Cases were female patients aged ≥ 15 years who had been violently injured. Matched by the health facility, date of injury, sex, and age, a control patient for each case was selected from those injured due to nonviolent mechanisms. RESULTS: In total, 194 case-control pairs were recruited. Results of a conditional logistic regression showed that being a Fula (odds ratio [OR] 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-5.66), living in an extended family compound (OR 3.07; 95% CI 1.22-7.72), having six or more female siblings (OR 3.10; 95% CI 1.38-6.97), having been raised by grandparents (OR 3.34; 95% CI 1.06-10.51), and having been verbally (OR 3.04; 95% CI 1.56-5.96) or physically abused (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.34-8.39) in the past 12 months were significantly associated with injury from physical violence. CONCLUSION: Most risk factors identified for violent injury among African women are unique to the studied geography. Violence prevention programs, if designed based on these identified risk factors, may be more effective for this population.