A Psychosocial Intervention to Reduce Gender-Based Violence and Antepartum Depressive Symptoms in Pregnant Women in Kisumu County, Kenya: A Quasi-Experimental Study
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Date
2018
Authors
Mutisya, Redempta Kalekye
Ngure, Kenneth
Mwachari, Christina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pan African Medical Journal and African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET)
Abstract
Introduction: Gender-based violence during pregnancy and its associated adverse health effects are disproportionately higher in developing
countries like Kenya where screening for and management of gender-based violence is currently not part of routine antenatal care. This study
assessed the effect of a psychosocial intervention on gender-based violence and antepartum depressive symptoms in pregnant women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study compared gender-based violence and antepartum depression scores of 288 pregnant women in the two
arms; one exposed to a psychosocial intervention and another receiving usual antenatal care. We used analysis of covariance to estimate the
intervention effect and Chi-square to test the equality of proportions. Results: The difference between the psychosocial intervention and the usual
antenatal care group in the total intimate partner violence and physical violence scores was a significant, with small effect sizes of partial eta =
0.196 and 0.305 respectively. The two arms did not differ in terms of the proportion of women reporting other acts of gender-based violence by
intimate and non-intimate partners post-intervention. The intervention group had significantly lower mean depression scores compared to the
usual care group, post-intervention, with a medium effect size of 0.500. Conclusion: This intervention aimed at reduction of gender-based
violence and improvement of mental health of pregnant women is promising. Primary health care facilities in resource-constrained settings can
take advantage of local capacity to deliver focused non-specialized psychosocial support to pregnant women experiencing violence.
Description
Article
Keywords
Gender-based violence, antepartum depression, pregnant women, intervention
Citation
Mutisya, R. K., Ngure, K., & Mwachari, C. (2018). A psychosocial intervention to reduce gender-based violence and antepartum depressive symptoms in pregnant women in Kisumu County, Kenya: a quasi-experimental study. Pan African Medical Journal, 29(1), 1-9.