Prevalence and Patterns of Domestic Violence Against Women
A Comparative Study of Urban and Rural Communities in Anambra State, Nigeria
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Abstract
Domestic violence (DV) remains pervasive worldwide, but its prevalence and patterns vary across socio-economic and cultural contexts. In Nigeria, urban and rural settings may present different risk profiles and manifestations of violence. This study assessed and compared the prevalence and patterns of DV among urban and rural women. A community-based cross-sectional comparative study of 588 women was carried out in Anambra State. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics using IBM SPSS version 25.0. The qualitative interviews with 20 survivors provided contextual understanding, and the analysis was done thematically using NVivo 13.0. The mean age of the respondents was 31.88±10.1 years. The most common age group was 20-29 years (208; 35.4%). Most of the respondents had secondary education (328; 55.8%), were married (394; 67.0%), were self-employed (331; 56.3%), and had 3-4 children (205; 34.9%). Lifetime prevalence and 12-month prevalence of DV were 58.0% and 32.3%, respectively. Urban respondents reported slightly higher lifetime prevalence and 12-month prevalence of DV (60.5%, 33.0%) compared to rural respondents (55.4%, 31.6%), though the differences were not statistically significant. Financial violence and physical violence were more common in urban areas than rural (43.2% to 31.3% and 39.8% to 34.4%, respectively). The difference in financial violence was significant (χ2: 12.32; P: 0.002). Emotional violence was significantly higher among rural women (26.5% to 19.7%) than urban women (χ²: 16.73; P: P:0.035). Qualitative accounts from the 20 women who were survivors of DV in this study confirmed these findings, highlighting financial neglect and abuse in urban settings and emotional discipline in rural communities. Domestic violence prevalence remains high in both settings, but the types of violence vary by geography. Interventions must consider contextual differences, with economic support prioritized in urban settings and cultural norm change emphasized in rural areas.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Gibson Ifechukwude Chiejine, Dr. Nnaemeka Emmanuel Akubue , Dr. Jacinta I. Ugwunweze , Merenini Michael Chukwuebuka, Dr. Adaora Ukamaka Okoli, Dr. Bonaventure Chukwuebuka Ezika, Dr. Ifeoma Vivian Ogbonna, Oyewumi Adesola Olayinka-Ësthêr (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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