Factors Associated With Domestic Violence among the 50 Years and above Living with Hiv/Aids - A Case Study of Mukono Hospital Patients

Domestic violence cuts cross all age groups and globally, between 10% and 69% of women report of having been physically assaulted by their sexual partner at least once in their life. Furthermore, between 6% and 47% of adult women report of having been sexually assaulted by their sexual partners while between 7% and 48% of girls and young women at least reported their first sexual episode to have been forced. Understanding of domestic violence issues and integrating them in the current treatment regimens is critical for success of treatment regimens of the above 50 years PLWH as domestic violence is blamed to hamper adherence to ARVS and ART, condom use among others. Hence the main objective of the study was to find out factors associated with domestic violence among the 50 years and above population living with HIV/AIDS, making a case study of Mukono hospital patients. Specifically the study intended to establish the individual/background factors associated with domestic violence among the above 50 years population living with HIV/AIDS, define the socio-economic factors associated with domestic violence and find the influence of substance abuse associated with domestic violence among the 50 years and above population living with HIV/AIDS. The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional survey that employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques that was supported by both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected from the 50 years and above PLWH attending CoU Mukono hospital and from CoU Mukono hospital selected key informants, while secondary data was captured from CoU Mukono hospital records. The study used focus group discussions to capture qualitative data were different focus group discussions for male and female respondents were organized. Quantitative data was captured through use of questionnaires which were interviewer administered. The study targeted a sample of 263 respondents which was calculated using a Kish and Leslie formula and generated by use of simple random numbers that were assigned to study units following the inclusion and exclusion criteria that held that study participants had to be above 50 years, on ART and able to speak Luganda or English fluently. Only 196 respondents were studied as 67 questionnaires had errors. Domestic violence was measured on a standard HITS scale and a score greater than 10 was positive and indicated domestic violence while a score less than 10 was negative and indicated that a participant had not suffered domestic violence hence domestic violence was measured as a binary outcome. The study held domestic violence as a dependent variable and predictors of domestic violence like individual/ background factors, social economic factors like occupation and alcohol abuse as independent factors. A binary logistic regression was fitted against variables to test for their associations with domestic violence at both bivariate and multivariate level that a backward elimination method was used to determine variables that were significantly associated with domestic violence at multivariate level using a 95% CI. The study found that alcohol consumption was a risk factor to domestic violence and findings are in line with Canadian Panel on violence against women, 1993. Study findings associate domestic violence with having arguments over sex which is in line with Rani et al., 2004; World’s women and Girl’s data sheet 2011. The study recommended that there is need to promote interventions that limit alcohol consumption among patients as heavy alcohol consumption is associated with domestic violence that affects the treatment regimens of the 50 years and above.