Awareness and Attitude of Married Women of Kerman City Towards Domestic Violence and Related Factors

 Domestic violence against women is prevalent. It has personal, social, physical, and spiritual effects on women. It is necessary for women to be aware of domestic violence. This study aimed to determine married women's awareness and attitude toward domestic violence in Kerman City, Iran.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on women referring to the comprehensive health centers of Kerman city, Iran in 2022, using Convenience sampling method. The self-administer questionnaire consisting of two sections containing demographic data and valid and reliable questionnaire on domestic violence against women was completed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive indicators including mean, standard deviation, and frequency were used to description. Data analysis was done using non-parametrictests including Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman's correlation tests.

 The mean score of awareness regarding violence against women was 8.46 (range: -14 to 14) and the mean score of attitude was 25.12 (range: 5 to 40) in this study. There was a significant negative relationship between the attitude score and the individual's age (P>0.05), the spouse's age (P<0.001), and the number of children (P<0.001). There was a significant relationship between the level of education and the score of awareness (P=0.015) and attitude (P=0.016). Also, there was a significant relationship between the spouse's education level and the knowledge score (P<0.001), and the attitude (P=0.019) score. The person's occupation had a significant relationship with the knowledge score (P=0.001) and attitude score (P=0.003).

Comprehensive policies should be implemented to empower women by educating them about domestic violence and encouraging them to be more active in the community. A higher level of education and having the job is also important