IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/dem/demres/v42y2020i10.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intimate partner violence and contraceptive use in developing countries: How does the relationship depend on context?

Author

Listed:
  • Xinguang Fan

    (Peking University)

  • Maria Vignau Loria

    (University of Washington)

Abstract

Background: Reducing domestic violence and increasing contraceptive use are two ways to improve women’s health in developing countries. Social scientists debate whether women’s experiences of intimate partner violence influence contraceptive use. The empirical evidence evaluating the relationship yields inconsistent results. These contradictory findings might be due to specific regional conditions that moderate the relationship. Methods: Using 30 panels of DHS data from 17 developing countries, this study examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and contraceptive use in a cross-national comparison and assesses whether this relationship is moderated by macro contextual factors, including the presence or absence of legal regulations against domestic violence and the national level of female empowerment. Results: Experience of either physical or sexual violence is associated with an increase in contraceptive use, and is statistically significant in a cross-national setting. The magnitude of the positive relationship between physical and sexual violence and contraceptive use decreases in the presence of legal regulations against domestic violence. The positive association of sexual violence with contraceptive use decreases in contexts with higher levels of women’s empowerment. However, there is no change in the positive association between physical violence and contraceptive use in contexts with higher levels of women’s empowerment. These results are robust to additional sensitivity tests. Contribution: This study demonstrates how macro contexts moderate the relationship between intimate partner violence and contraceptive use. The results inform and reconcile previous findings by demonstrating that the positive relationship between women’s experience of violence by an intimate partner and contraceptive use can be attenuated when structural conditions change – namely, adoption of legal protections and improved women’s empowerment.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinguang Fan & Maria Vignau Loria, 2020. "Intimate partner violence and contraceptive use in developing countries: How does the relationship depend on context?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(10), pages 293-342.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:42:y:2020:i:10
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2020.42.10
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol42/10/42-10.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4054/DemRes.2020.42.10?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saifuddin Ahmed & Andreea A Creanga & Duff G Gillespie & Amy O Tsui, 2010. "Economic Status, Education and Empowerment: Implications for Maternal Health Service Utilization in Developing Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(6), pages 1-6, June.
    2. Sanjay K Mohanty & Gunther Fink & Rajesh Chauhan & David Canning, 2016. "Distal determinants of fertility decline: Evidence from 640 Indian districts," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 34(13), pages 373-406.
    3. Mistry, Ritesh & Galal, Osman & Lu, Michael, 2009. "Women's autonomy and pregnancy care in rural India: A contextual analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 926-933, September.
    4. Jejeebhoy, Shireen J., 1995. "Women's Education, Autonomy, and Reproductive Behaviour: Experience from Developing Countries," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198290339.
    5. Duncan, Craig & Jones, Kelvyn & Moon, Graham, 1998. "Context, composition and heterogeneity: Using multilevel models in health research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 97-117, January.
    6. Raj, Anita & Silverman, Jay G. & Klugman, Jeni & Saggurti, Niranjan & Donta, Balaiah & Shakya, Holly B., 2018. "Longitudinal analysis of the impact of economic empowerment on risk for intimate partner violence among married women in rural Maharashtra, India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 197-203.
    7. Brian K Lee & Justin Lessler & Elizabeth A Stuart, 2011. "Weight Trimming and Propensity Score Weighting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(3), pages 1-6, March.
    8. Anna Aizer, 2010. "The Gender Wage Gap and Domestic Violence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(4), pages 1847-1859, September.
    9. Kidman, Rachel & Palermo, Tia & Bertrand, Jane, 2015. "Intimate partner violence, modern contraceptive use and conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 2-10.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pratley, Pierre, 2016. "Associations between quantitative measures of women's empowerment and access to care and health status for mothers and their children: A systematic review of evidence from the developing world," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 119-131.
    2. Thapa, Deependra Kaji & Niehof, Anke, 2013. "Women's autonomy and husbands' involvement in maternal health care in Nepal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-10.
    3. Sohini Paul, 2016. "Women’s Labour Force Participation and Domestic Violence," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(2), pages 224-250, August.
    4. Paul, Sohini, 2014. "Women labour force participation and domestic violence: Evidence from India," MPRA Paper 55311, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Isabel Tiago de Oliveira & José G Dias & Sabu S Padmadas, 2014. "Dominance of Sterilization and Alternative Choices of Contraception in India: An Appraisal of the Socioeconomic Impact," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, January.
    6. Arzu Kibris & Phillip Nelson, 2023. "Female income generation and intimate partner violence: Evidence from a representative survey in Turkey," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 963-978, August.
    7. Adjiwanou, Vissého & Bougma, Moussa & LeGrand, Thomas, 2018. "The effect of partners' education on women's reproductive and maternal health in developing countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 104-115.
    8. Marco Colagrossi & Claudio Deiana & Andrea Geraci & Ludovica Giua, 2022. "Hang up on stereotypes: Domestic violence and an anti‐abuse helpline campaign," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(4), pages 585-611, October.
    9. Molina, Teresa & Usui, Emiko, 2022. "Female Labor Market Opportunities and Gender Gaps in Aspirations," IZA Discussion Papers 15453, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Augusto Mendoza Calderón, 2017. "El Efecto del Empleo sobre la Violencia Doméstica: Evidencia para las Mujeres Peruanas," Working Papers 99, Peruvian Economic Association.
    11. Mitchell, Richard & Dujardin, Claire & Popham, Frank & Farfan Portet, Maria-Isabel & Thomas, Isabelle & Lorant, Vincent, 2011. "Using matched areas to explore international differences in population health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1113-1122.
    12. Bhalotra, Sonia & Clarke, Damian & Mühlrad, Hanna & Palme, Mårten, 2021. "Health and Labor Market Impacts of Twin Birth : Evidence from a Swedish IVF Policy Mandate," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1391, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    13. Nazmul Islam & Natalie E. Sheils & Megan S. Jarvis & Kenneth Cohen, 2022. "Comparative effectiveness over time of the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine and the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    14. Lídia Farré, 2013. "The Role of Men in the Economic and Social Development of Women: Implications for Gender Equality," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 28(1), pages 22-51, February.
    15. Anders Kjelsrud & Kristin Vikan Sjurgard, 2022. "Public Work and Private Violence," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(9), pages 1791-1806, September.
    16. Sun, Ang & Zhao, Yaohui, 2016. "Divorce, abortion, and the child sex ratio: The impact of divorce reform in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 53-69.
    17. Roy, Shalini & Hidrobo, Melissa & Hoddinott, John F. & Ahmed, Akhter, 2021. "Transfers, behavior change communication, and intimate partner violence: Post-program evidence from rural Bangladesh," IFPRI book chapters, in: Securing food for all in Bangladesh, chapter 15, pages 549-590, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Herwansyah Herwansyah & Katarzyna Czabanowska & Stavroula Kalaitzi & Peter Schröder-Bäck, 2022. "Exploring the Influence of Sociodemographic Characteristics on the Utilization of Maternal Health Services: A Study on Community Health Centers Setting in Province of Jambi, Indonesia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-13, July.
    19. Marianne Bertrand & Emir Kamenica & Jessica Pan, 2015. "Gender Identity and Relative Income within Households," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 130(2), pages 571-614.
    20. Hera Cook, 2000. "Unseemly and unwomanly behaviour: Comparing women’s control of their fertility in Australia and England from 1890 to 1970," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 125-141, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    domestic violence; contraceptive use; developing countries; fertility preferences; intimate partner violence; women empowerment; legal regulation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:42:y:2020:i:10. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Editorial Office (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.