Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Dietary Diversity: A Population-Based Investigation in 8 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant threat to the well-being of women and girls and is a highly prevalent form of gender-based violence. Evidence regarding the nutritional implications of IPV has focused primarily on intergenerational relationships with child nutrition and growth. There remains a knowledge gap regarding the association with women’s own dietary intake.

Objectives

We investigated relationships between past-year IPV (physical, emotional, and sexual) and women's dietary habits, using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women tool.

Methods

The data sources analyzed were the cross-sectional Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Cambodia (2021, N = 5618), Nepal (2022, N = 4155), Sierra Leone (2019, N = 3808), Nigeria (2018, N = 8313), Tajikistan (2017, N = 4792), Cote D’Ivoire (2022, N = 3654), Kenya (2022, N = 10,717), and the Philippines (2022, N = 12,240). Utilizing multivariable generalized linear models, we assessed the overall relationship between women’s exposure to IPV and 1) the number of food groups consumed and 2) minimum dietary diversity.

Results

Our results reveal heterogeneous relationship patterns between IPV and women’s diet. Although none of the pooled estimates were significant and there were a large number of nonsignificant associations, IPV was associated with consuming a lower number of total food groups and reduced consumption of a diverse diet in Nigeria, Kenya, and the Philippines. There is evidence that in Tajikistan, physical violence relates to an increased number of food groups consumed.

Conclusions

IPV is associated with altered dietary intake patterns within certain low- and middle-income countries. The directionality of associations may depend on local food environments and food access. Further research is needed to clarify the pathways underlying these findings. These pathways may involve impacts of IPV that influence diet and food access, for example, mental health symptoms and disorders and related coping mechanisms.