Intimate partner violence among South-Asian women : A scoping review of understanding and safeguards in modern marriages

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as a physical, sexual, or psychological form of violence by a male partner and is the most predominant form of violence against women globally. Violence always causes mental, physical, and emotional issues, causing substantial global public health concerns. Quantitative and qualitative studies were used for the review. A total of 163 research papers were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and Embase databases, and 14 papers were selected as relevant for the review. Among 14 studies, 12 were published in India, one from Pakistan, and one from Nepal. We found that IPV is highly prevalent with substance abuse, dowry system, male dominance, and spousal coercion leading to severe health problems. Utilising Intra Uterine devices (IUDs) as contraceptives, economic and electronic media empowerment, help-seeking behaviour as well as using the healthcare system enables safeguarding women from IPV

Exploring UK Knife crime and its associated factors: A content analysis of online newspapers

Knife crime has become a common phrase used by the media, but it is not always clear what it refers to or what they mean when they use the term. Knife crime can cover many offences, making it challenging to define and estimate its prevalence. This review aimed to evaluate potential knife crimes in the UK from 2011 to 2021 and analyse the causes and risk factors associated with the crimes. Six UK online news portals were purposefully chosen to be included in the study, and knife crime news was searched retrospectively. The term "knife crime" was used to search. The news portals were the: Metro, the Sun, the Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and the Evening Standard. In the assigned news portals, 692 reports were found between January 2011 and December 2021. The study revealed that the 11-20 years of age group individuals are more vulnerable as victims, and males are more reported as victims when compared to females. About 61.8% of knife crimes are reported from South England. Knife crime risk is higher in early adulthood and among males. Street violence, fights/gang attacks, family issues and robbery are the leading causes of knife crime and have all been identified as risk factors that must be addressed with caution

Predictors of intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age group from Rwanda

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is an important global health and human rights concern, with significant prevalence in Rwanda. This study aimed to identify predictors of IPV among women of reproductive age in Rwanda, providing essential insights for targeted interventions. Methods Data from the Rwanda Demographic Health and Survey 2019-20, a nationally representative survey, were analyzed. The study included 14,634 women aged 15-49. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis to check the experiences of IPV by background characteristics of the women and logistic regression were used to explore associations between background characteristics and IPV. Results The study revealed that women's educational status, wealth index, witnessing parental violence, husband or partner's drinking habit, and fear of husbands or partners were significantly associated with IPV. Women with higher education and those from wealthier households were less likely to experience IPV. In contrast, women whose partners consumed alcohol and those who feared their partners faced higher risks of IPV. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of addressing social determinants such as education, economic status, and alcohol consumption patterns in efforts to reduce IPV in Rwanda. The findings show up the urgency of comprehensive interventions and policies aimed at promoting gender equality and preventing intimate partner violence

Predictors of intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age group from Rwanda

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is an important global health and human rights concern, with significant prevalence in Rwanda. This study aimed to identify predictors of IPV among women of reproductive age in Rwanda, providing essential insights for targeted interventions. Methods Data from the Rwanda Demographic Health and Survey 2019-20, a nationally representative survey, were analyzed. The study included 14,634 women aged 15-49. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis to check the experiences of IPV by background characteristics of the women and logistic regression were used to explore associations between background characteristics and IPV. Results The study revealed that women's educational status, wealth index, witnessing parental violence, husband or partner's drinking habit, and fear of husbands or partners were significantly associated with IPV. Women with higher education and those from wealthier households were less likely to experience IPV. In contrast, women whose partners consumed alcohol and those who feared their partners faced higher risks of IPV. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of addressing social determinants such as education, economic status, and alcohol consumption patterns in efforts to reduce IPV in Rwanda. The findings show up the urgency of comprehensive interventions and policies aimed at promoting gender equality and preventing intimate partner violence.</p

The effect of Covid-19 on the mental health of the people in the Indian subcontinent: A scoping review

Background: Indian subcontinent  has high mental heath burden and low resoueces to cope the mental health challenges. Assessment of impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the mental mental healthwould help to prioratize the resource allocations. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of people in the Indian subcontinent. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and made a systematic serach in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase to identify the original studies assessing mental health conditions during Covid-19 pandemic in the Indian subcontinent. Results: A total of 34 studies carried out between 2020 and 2022 was included in this review. The prevalence of anxiety disorders varied widely starting from 2.5% among residents of  urban slum in North India to 53% Bangladesh,  21.7% in Pakistan. The prevalence of depression also varied widely starting from 3.5% North India to 29.8% in Pakistan. The prevalence of stress related problem varied from 18.3% in Pakistan to 59.7% in Bangladesh. Female gender, married status, health care workers, and mental illness were the important predicotrs for anxiety and depressive disorders. Conclusion: The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on mental health of people living in Indian subcontinent varies widely based on study population and methods.Therefore, a cautious interpretation is needed while generalizing the study results.</p