Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
186,541 studies31 sourcesUpdated 1 h ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

Prevalence and determinants of emotional, physical, and sexual Intimate Partner Violence in urban Lagos, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

  • Tope Olubodun1
  • Ajoke Adewole2
  • Victoria Oluwasola Yesufu3
  • Ifeoma P. Okafor4
  • Olorunfemi Akinbode Ogundele5
  • Omobola Yetunde Ojo
  • Gbemiga Adekunle Ajewole
  • Mobolanle Rasheedat Balogun
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Federal Medical Center Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
  2. 2Department of Primary Care, James Paget University Hospital, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, United Kingdom
  3. 3Unified Initiative for a Drug Free Nigeria, Fagba, Lagos State, Nigeria
  4. 4Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria
  5. 5Department of Community Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health and human rights concern affecting women globally. In Nigeria, entrenched social norms and cultural acceptance of male dominance contribute to its high prevalence. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of emotional, physical, and sexual IPV among women residing in an urban Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 502 women who had been married/cohabiting for at least 2 years. Respondents were selected via multi-stage sampling. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires adapted from the WHO multi-country study questionnaire on women’s health and life experiences. Data was analysed using univariate, bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the women was 37.4 ± 8 years. The mean age of women’s partners was 44.4 ± 8.7 years. Overall, 83% of women had ever experienced some form of IPV and 51.8% in the past year. Emotional IPV was most common (78% ever, 47.8% past year), followed by physical (54% ever, 27.5% past year) and sexual IPV (18% ever, 9.4% past year). Cohabiting women and women married for 2–10 years had higher odds of emotional IPV and any IPV. Women with no formal education [aOR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.67] were less likely to experience any IPV. Women whose partners were younger [aOR 6.91, 95% CI 2.21–21.66], engaged in extramarital relationships [aOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.29–4.10], had significantly higher odds of any IPV. Women whose partners drank alcohol daily/nearly every day [aOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.10–4.3] were more likely to be victims of physical IPV. Poor partner communication doubled the likelihood of physical IPV, and women whose partners’ mothers had experienced violence were more likely to experience physical IPV. Women with negative attitudes toward gender roles were at greater risk of experiencing any form of IPV. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in urban Lagos. Targeted interventions should focus on high-risk groups and be complemented by broader, multi-sectoral efforts to challenge gender norms, empower women, and strengthen legal and health-system responses.

Related

  1. Prevalence and determinants of urban malaria among urban residents of Dilla Town, southern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study
    Alayu Bogale, Asaye Mitiku, Alazar Amare Amdiyee +4
    BMC Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
  2. Prevalence and determinants of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among civil servants in rural Southwestern Uganda: a cross-sectional survey
    Herbert Izo Ninsiima, Kinyi W. Hellen, V. Mfitumukiza +3
    BMC Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
  3. Physical activity, sleep duration, and multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study of prevalence associations and association rule mining of multimorbidity patterns
    Lianhua Liu, Weixia Li, Mei Gui +4
    BMC Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
  4. Prevalence and Determinants of Diabetes among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of LASI
    R. Kumar, S. Prakash, S. Kumari
    medRxivPreprintCC BYFull textEndocrinology & metabolismmedRxiv
  5. Prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of chest pain among physicians in the Middle East and North Africa: A multinational cross-sectional study
    Saadi M. Saleh, Weam Aldiban, Alaa Aljamala +10
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Psychiatry & mental healthPLOS

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{olubodun2026prevalence,
  title = {{Prevalence and determinants of emotional, physical, and sexual Intimate Partner Violence in urban Lagos, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study}},
  author = {Tope Olubodun and Ajoke Adewole and Victoria Oluwasola Yesufu and Ifeoma P. Okafor and Olorunfemi Akinbode Ogundele and Omobola Yetunde Ojo and Gbemiga Adekunle Ajewole and Mobolanle Rasheedat Balogun},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0359973},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359973},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Prevalence and determinants of emotional, physical, and sexual Intimate Partner Violence in urban Lagos, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study
AU  - Tope Olubodun
AU  - Ajoke Adewole
AU  - Victoria Oluwasola Yesufu
AU  - Ifeoma P. Okafor
AU  - Olorunfemi Akinbode Ogundele
AU  - Omobola Yetunde Ojo
AU  - Gbemiga Adekunle Ajewole
AU  - Mobolanle Rasheedat Balogun
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0359973
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359973
AB  - Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health and human rights concern affecting women globally. In Nigeria, entrenched social norms and cultural acceptance of male dominance contribute to its high prevalence. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of emotional, physical, and sexual IPV among women residing in an urban Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 502 women who had been married/cohabiting for at least 2 years. Respondents were selected via multi-stage sampling. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires adapted from the WHO multi-country study questionnaire on women’s health and life experiences. Data was analysed using univariate, bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the women was 37.4 ± 8 years. The mean age of women’s partners was 44.4 ± 8.7 years. Overall, 83% of women had ever experienced some form of IPV and 51.8% in the past year. Emotional IPV was most common (78% ever, 47.8% past year), followed by physical (54% ever, 27.5% past year) and sexual IPV (18% ever, 9.4% past year). Cohabiting women and women married for 2–10 years had higher odds of emotional IPV and any IPV. Women with no formal education [aOR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.67] were less likely to experience any IPV. Women whose partners were younger [aOR 6.91, 95% CI 2.21–21.66], engaged in extramarital relationships [aOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.29–4.10], had significantly higher odds of any IPV. Women whose partners drank alcohol daily/nearly every day [aOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.10–4.3] were more likely to be victims of physical IPV. Poor partner communication doubled the likelihood of physical IPV, and women whose partners’ mothers had experienced violence were more likely to experience physical IPV. Women with negative attitudes toward gender roles were at greater risk of experiencing any form of IPV. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in urban Lagos. Targeted interventions should focus on high-risk groups and be complemented by broader, multi-sectoral efforts to challenge gender norms, empower women, and strengthen legal and health-system responses.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -