Intimate partner violence and survivor-reported partner characteristics in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania

Abstract

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a major global public health and humanrights challenge, with a disproportionate burden in sub-Saharan Africa. While women's experiences of IPV are well documented, fewer population-level studies examine survivor-reported partner characteristics and relational dynamics associated with perpetration. Objective To estimate IPV prevalence in selected sub-Saharan African countries and examine demographic, socio-relational, attitudinal, and survivor-reported partnerstructural characteristics associated with IPV. Methods We analysed data from the 2022-2023 Demographic and Health Surveys in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania ( n = 59,458 ever-partnered women; 9593 reporting IPV). IPV prevalence was assessed in relation to demographic, socio-relational, and structural partnership characteristics. Random forest models were used togenerate descriptive rankings of the relative importance of selected survivor-reported partner structural characteristics across countries, with findings interpreted non-causally. Results IPV prevalence was highest in Kenya (21.28%; 95% CI: 20.71-21.87), followed by Ghana (14.26%; 95% CI: 13.56-15.02) and Tanzania (12.34%; 95% CI: 11.66-12.99). Partner economic status and occupation consistently ranked as important structural factors. Controlling behaviours were common among women experiencing IPV, with notable cross-country variation. Conclusions Incorporating carefully designed partner-related indicators into population-based surveys can strengthen IPV surveillance, inform targeted prevention strategies, and support gender-transformative policy in sub-Saharan Africa.