|
Domestic violence is a common problem in Sudanese society. This work investigates the problem of domestic violence in the Sudanese family in regard to its extent, and the patterns and risk factors that determine its occurrence. The study population was recruited from the married women seen in the outpatient clinic of the Elribat University Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan during April 2006. Through a detailed questionnaire each eligible woman was asked to provide the following data: socio-demographic characteristics, if her husband abused her in any way in the last three months, the immediate circumstances used as an excuse for the violence, her reaction to the abuse, and if she had been hurt before marriage or during pregnancy. Of 254 women approached, 146 gave their consent to participate in the study, giving a response rate of 57.4%. Of these, 67 women were abused to give a prevalence rate of domestic violence of 45.8%. The non-abused women (79) served as the control group of the study. Measures to address domestic violence, shared by health professionals and other concerned authorities, are discussed by the author.
About the Author
Awad Mohamed Ahmed is a professor of Medicine at the University of Bahr Elghazal in the Sudan. He has a special interest in researching gender issues and different aspects of domestic violence in Sudan. Professor Ahmed published several relevant works in scientific journals on the prevalence and patterns of domestic violence among urban women, the attitudes of Sudanese doctors towards domestic violence, and domestic violence as a public health problem.
|
