Factors associated to recent intimate partner physical violence against women in Peru, 2004-2007

Objectives. To identify factors associated to recent (during the last year) intimate partner physical violence against women in Peru. Materials and methods. Using the demographic and family Health National Survey (ENDES) 2004-2007 a secondary analysis was performed. 12,257 women married or living with a couple who answered the violence module were included, with this information they were assigned to a category according to the history of having been physically assaulted by their couples. Descriptive analysis and univariate and multivariate logistical regression for complex samples were done. Results. Prevalence of physical violence at the national level was 14,5%, with variations according to the geographical areas (9,7% to 18,9%). The factor associated to a higher risk is having a couple who frequently gets drunk (OR: 7,2; 95%CI: 5,4-9,6) and having a couple controlling or limiting the woman's visits to family or friends (OR: 4,1; 95%CI: 3,3-5,0); other associated factors are history of physical aggression of the father to the mother, having had previous partners, be cohabiting, having a higher educational level than the partner and having a disbalanced decision taking in the couple. Among the factors associated with a lower risk are the communication and respect inside the couple (OR: 0,3; 95%CI: 0,2-0,3), and the fact that the woman has health insurance. Conclusions. Many individual factors, as well as factors of the couple relationship and others are associated with a higher probability of violence against the woman. Other agents, such as the communication and the respect in the couple, could have a protective character.