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. 2024 Jun 11;21(1):84.
doi: 10.1186/s12978-024-01825-x.

Intimate partner violence after childbirth: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study protocol

Fatemeh Ghelichkhani  1 , Zahra Behboodi Moghadam  1 , Armin Zareiyan  2 , Masoumeh Namazi  3
Affiliations

Intimate partner violence after childbirth: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study protocol

Fatemeh Ghelichkhani et al. Reprod Health. .

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women. Postpartum IPV refers to any type of IPV that occurs up to one year after childbirth and has many adverse impacts on mothers and their children. Considering the lack of sufficient information on the prevalence and factors related to IPV after childbirth in Iran, this study aimed to evaluate the frequency and severity of IPV, its different forms, and psychosocial factors related to IPV, as well as to explore how IPV is perceived among mothers one year after childbirth.

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used to conduct this study in two phases. The first phase is a cross-sectional study that will be performed on postpartum mothers who have a one-year-old child referred to health care centers in the southern region of Tehran, Iran, with the aim of determining the prevalence of IPV and its related factors. The second phase is a qualitative conventional content analysis study with the purpose of exploring women's experiences and perceptions of IPV and its preventive or protective factors. Purposive sampling will be used. Based on the results of the quantitative phase, mothers who are at the two ends of the IPV spectrum (based on their total Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) scores) will be selected, and in-depth and semistructured interviews will be conducted with them. Finally, the researchers will provide an interpretation of the quantitative results using qualitative data.

Discussion: This is the first study that uses a mixed methods approach to explain different dimensions of IPV, its related factors, and mothers' perceptions of it. By providing a better understanding of this phenomenon, it is hoped that the results of this research will be used by policymakers and officials of educational and cultural systems to plan and provide effective interventions, enact laws, and present educational and cultural programs to prevent IPV after childbirth.

Ethical code: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC1400.200.

Keywords: Childbirth; Intimate partner violence; Mixed method; Postpartum; Qualitative content analysis; Related factors.

Plain language summary

Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women, with a higher prevalence in Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries, including Iran. The period after childbirth is a stressful and anxiety-provoking event due to the increased physical, psychological, social, and economic needs of parents, leading to intimate partner violence. Studies show that women who experience violence after childbirth face many physical, sexual, and emotional problems. Additionally, it will have a negative impact on their baby. Many factors can lead to intimate partner violence, among which psychological factors are among the most important. Therefore, we decided to perform a study in two phases with the aim of determining the prevalence and factors related to intimate partner violence. In the first phase, we will study Iranian women who have a one-year child living in southern Tehran city and ask them to complete questionnaires related to intimate partner violence. In the second phase, we will conduct an interview with women who have experienced violence after childbirth to obtain more information about the factors involved.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Diagram of the study process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Path model of associations between psychosocial factors and IPV with the resilience mediator
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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