A Qualitative Study of the Health-Related Perceptions of Married Iranian Women Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Violence against women occurs all over the world; it is a phenomenon that is considered an invasion of human rights. The most common form of this phenomenon is domestic violence (DV). AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the health-related perceptions of married women in Iran who have experienced DV. METHOD: This qualitative study was carried out using conventional content analysis method. In total, a purposive sample of 27 women who had been subjected to violence by their spouses agreed to participate in this study. Individual, in-depth, and semistructured interviews were conducted. FINDINGS: Three main categories emerged from the data (a) perceptions related to physical health (including non-sex-organ injuries and sex organ injuries), (b) perceptions related to psychological health (including fear, concern, and the creation of challenges), and (c) perceptions related to sociocultural health (specifically social health and cultural health). CONCLUSION: In Iran, DV threatens women's health and is influenced by personal, familial, social, and cultural factors. Nurses should consider various aspects of physical, psychological, and sociocultural health when caring for women who have experienced DV. Social and cultural-based interventions are needed to address negative attitudes, stigma, and false beliefs that sanction DV in Iran.