Background: Domestic violence against women is a public health problem that affects more than one third of all women globally. It includes any physical, sexual or emotional abuse imposed upon women within family relationships. Several studies in Iraq demonstrated that domestic violence has been increasing over the past two decades.
Objective: Determine the prevalence of domestic violence against pregnant women and factors associated with it.
Patients and methods: A total of 345 pregnant women were included in a cross- sectional study conducted during the period from July - November 2018. They were selected through multistage random sampling from four Primary Health Care Centers in Baghdad. An Abuse Assessment Screen was used, with a known validity and reliability.
Result: The overall prevalence of domestic violence was 37.1%. It was 9.0% during pregnancy. There were significant associations between domestic violence during pregnancy and the duration of marriage, husband’s age at marriage, husband’s consumption of alcohol and the number of children.
Conclusion: Pregnancy acts as a protective factor against domestic violence