Global and Regional Prevalence of Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Determinants: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Domestic violence is one of the most significant global public health priorities. This social problem could be accelerated by global catastrophes such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The structural changes due to the imposition of health measures, combined with personal and social problems, may worsen the situation. Objective: This study aims to investigate the global and regional prevalence of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and its determinants. Methods: We will perform a comprehensive review of the literature in PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane COVID-19 Register, and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, up to July 2024. This review will adhereto the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) reporting guidelines. Observational studies will be considered eligible if they have a population-based design, report the number of cases or prevalence of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and report potential determinants. Studies in languages other than English, those with unclear data, case reports, conference proceedings, reviews, and letters will be excluded. To assess the methodological quality, a standardized critical appraisal checklist for studies reporting prevalence data will be used. A robust Bayesian approach will be applied using the STATA software package (version 14; STATA Inc) and JASP 0.19.1 (GNU Affero General Public License [GNU AGPL]) software. Results: The search and screening for the systematic literature review are anticipated to be finished in October 2024. Data extraction, quality appraisal, and subsequent data synthesiswill begin in November 2024. The review is expected to be completed by April 2025, and the study results will be published in 2025. Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis will address significant gaps in understanding the pandemic's impact on domestic violence, providing a comprehensive assessment of its prevalence and contributing factors. Despite some limitations, thestudy incorporates diverse data sources and vulnerablegroups to offer a detailed and accurate picture. Thefindings will inform targeted interventions and policy responses to mitigate the impact of future global crises on domestic violence rates. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022351634; https://tinyurl.com/yth37jkx International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/60963