Unraveling the nexus between domestic violence and women’s self-rated health status in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country investigation for advancing SDG 3 and 5

Background
Domestic violence against women (DVAW) is recognised globally as a violation of human rights and a public health concern. This study explores the relationship between DVAW and women’s self-rated health status (SRHS). Identifying how DVAW drives women’s SRHS could direct targeted interventions required to enhance women’s SRHS whilst addressing all forms of DVAW, thereby advancing the course of SDGs 3 and 5.

Methods
The study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 5 countries in SSA (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania). 38,882 women (aged between 15 and 49 years) were included in the analysis for the study. SRHS was used as the dependent variable. We focused on four key independent variables: emotional violence, physical violence, sexual violence, and at least one violence. An ordered logistic regression was applied to achieve the study’s objectives.

Results
More than half of the women (53.20%) rated their health status as good. The study highlighted a consistent negative association between various forms of domestic violence and women’s SRHS. Specifically, women who had experienced emotional violence (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.72–0.80), physical violence (AOR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.77–0.91), sexual violence (AOR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.66–0.78) and at least one domestic violence (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.73–0.80) were less likely to have better SRHS. Furthermore, having high socioeconomic status, consuming fruits and vegetables and not smoking cigarette were positively associated with better SRHS.

Conclusion
Our findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the drivers of domestic violence against women. In addition to ongoing awareness campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa, healthcare facilities should implement routine screening for gender-based violence to ensure early support for victims.