Prevalence and determinants of intimate partner violence in Babol City, Islamic Republic of Iran.

To determine the prevalence and determinants of intimate partner violence, 2400 married women attending public clinics in Babol, Islamic Republic of Iran, were screened for domestic violence. Overall, 15.0% of women had suffered physical abuse from their husbands in the previous year, 42.4% sexual abuse and 81.5% various degrees of psychological abuse. A significant association with intimate partner violence was found for women with low income, age < or = 20 years, unemployed, low education, non-pregnant and non-houseowners. There was no significant relationship between violence and parity or length of marriage. On multivariate regression, the strongest predictor of physical abuse was unemployment of the woman, whereas for psychological and sexual abuse it was rural residence. Empowering women through promoting employment and improving education may reduce the risk of intimate partner violence.