Domestic Violence against Women in Two Primary Health Care Centers in Kayseri

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the women’s rate of exposure to domestic violence, the factors that affect it and to find out the view of women about domestic violence in two primary health care cervices in Kayseri. METHODS: The data was collected from 355 women aged 16 and over who applied to the selected two primary health care centers. A questionnaire was used. RESULTS: The mean age of the women were 34,0±10,9, 82,3% were married, 12.4% were single and 5.4% were widowed. Fifty two percent of women accept wife beating. Women living in low socioeconomic area (2.1 times more), and women who had 8 and low year of education (2.8 times more) think that wife beating would be justified in some cases. Forty nine point nine percent of the women had an experience of domestic violence and 38.6% blame themselves for it. The rate of violence was higher in women whose husband is not working in a continuous work, had taken a beating from her mother-father, and had seen her father beating her mother. Women’s and husbands’ experience of violence in childhood increase the risk of beating their children. CONCLUSION: The rate of domestic violence and acceptance of violence were found high in our study. Man who exposed violence from his parents applies violence to his wife and children; woman who exposed violence from her parents applies violence to her children. To increase awareness of the health care workers about domestic violence we have to pay attention to this subject during training studies.