Wife abuse in Esfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2002

摘要

We carried out a cross-sectional study with cluster random sampling to study the status of wife abuse in Esfahan from April to July 2002. We interviewed 386 married women using a standard questionnaire. Mean age was 35.7 years (range 15–78 years). Prevalence of wife abuse was 36.8%; incidence was 29.3%. Types of abuse included inattention to wife's feelings 44.8%, threatening to pre- vent communicating with the wife's family 38.1%, slapping 31.9% and beating 27.2%. Husband's age, use of drugs or alcohol, smoking, income and number of children were all associated with wife abuse (P < 0.05). We recommend further investigation to detect the risk factors for wife abuse in this commu- nity along with mass education concerning sexual responsibility and conduct towards wives. We also advocate the promotion of supportive measures for abused women.