Examining the Effects of Domestic Violence and Anemia on Maternal and Child Health in Peru

Abstract

The study aims to examine the association between domestic violence against women and anemia in women and their children under 5 years in Peru. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2023 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) in Peru, focusing on women aged 15-49 years who reported having children aged 5 years or younger. Domestic violence was defined as physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated by a partner or husband. Anemia was assessed through blood tests measuring hemoglobin levels. Two outcomes were evaluated: Model 1 (both the woman and her child are anemia-free; 1 = both anemia-free, 0 = at least one is anemic) and Model 2 (at least the child is anemia-free; 1 = child is anemia-free, 0 = child has anemia). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate both unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the association between domestic violence and anemia in women and children. The most usual form of partner violence against women was psychological violence, with 44.5% of women reporting exposure. The maternal-child anemia index showed that 64.3% of woman-child pairs had at least one anemic member, and 32.6% of children under 5 were anemic among women reporting all forms of violence. In adjusted Model 1, anemia was significantly associated with physical violence (aOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.85; p-trend = <0.000); and in adjusted Model 2, anemia in children was significantly associated with sexual violence (aOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.95; p-trend = 0.028). These findings indicate that domestic violence is a critical determinant of health outcomes. The association between violence and anemia highlights the instrumental health benefits of addressing partner violence, with the potential to improve both maternal and child health outcomes.