Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant public health issue in Mozambique. This study uses data from the 2022-2023 Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to examine the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of Lifetime IPV among women. Specifically, this study focuses on physical IPV (pIPV), as measured in the Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), which does not capture sexual or emotional violence. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 4,813 women aged 15-49 was analyzed to assess the prevalence of Lifetime pIPV. Lifetime pIPV was defined as physical violence perpetrated by a current or former partner, by DHS definitions. Logistic regression models were used to identify individual- and contextual-level factors associated with Lifetime IPV. RESULTS: Nearly 1 in 4 women (21.92%) reported experiencing physical abuse from a current or former partner in their lifetime. Marital status emerged as a key individual-level determinant, with cohabitating and separated women being at significantly higher odds of experiencing pIPV compared to women who had never been in a union. Educational attainment and current employment were also associated with increased odds of pIPV. Similarly, women who justified physical abuse had higher odds of experiencing pIPV. Additionally, husbands/partners' alcohol consumption was one of the strongest predictors, nearly tripling the odds of Lifetime pIPV. Finally, the effect modification between marital status and education showed that the effect of marital status on pIPV was further modified by women educational attainment. At the contextual level, provincial disparities were observed, with Cabo Delgado and Manica showing the highest pIPV prevalence, while Inhambane and Gaza had the lowest. CONCLUSION: This study provides updated data on the prevalence of Lifetime pIPV in Mozambique and highlights key individual and contextual factors contributing to pIPV. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing socio-cultural norms, improving educational opportunities, mitigating male partner's alcohol consumption, and implementing province-specific strategies to reduce pIPV and enhance women's safety across Mozambique.