IPV_Tanzania
Investigating the predictors and consequences of intimate partner violence: a mixed methods study in Mwanza, Tanzania.
The study, funded by the European Research Council Starting Grant IPV-Tanzania is conducted in collaboration with the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, consists of four components:
1. A four-wave longitudinal study on intimate partner violence among approximately 1000 women
2. A cross-sectional study of approximately 1000 young men aged 18 to 24 years
3. In-depth interviews with women who experienced intimate partner violence
4. In-depth interviews with men, including photovoice
Picture 1: Team at the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit
This study is one of the largest quantitative and qualitative longitudinal studies on intimate partner violence with multiple time points among women of reproductive age in a low-income country. Applying a holistic approach, the study is not limited to information from woman only, it will also interview men qualitatively and quantitatively on their perceptions, predictors and consequences of intimate partner violence.
Objectives
The primary objective of the study will be to investigate the predictors and consequences of intimate partner violence in Tanzania over time, focusing specifically on women’s economic empowerment, poor mental health and alcohol abuse as predictors and consequences of intimate partner violence.
The specific aims of the study are:
1. To map out the changes in the incidence and intensity of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence over time and to explore overlaps with and changes in emotional and economic abuse and controlling behaviour.
2. Investigate how changes in the incidence and intensity of intimate partner violence impact alcohol abuse, poor mental health and women’s empowerment over time, with a special focus on the interactions between intimate partner violence and stressors and benefits of participation in microfinance loan groups.
3. Explore the effect of cumulative intimate partner violence at all time points on women’s mental health, alcohol abuse and economic empowerment.
4. Establish the pathways though which the selected indicators lead to intimate partner violence and vice versa.
5. Explore the mediators that influence the relationship between intimate partner violence and women’s mental health, alcohol abuse and economic empowerment.
As most theories on intimate partner violence originate from high income countries, this study has the strong potential to have a long-lasting impact on shaping the research agenda on intimate partner violence. It is of immediate necessity to address a vital public health challenge of our time.
Picture 2: Home utensils, the participants took this picture as a memory of what happened in previous months (Photovoice)