What geography can tell us? Effect of higher education on intimate partner violence against women in Uganda

Studies in Uganda show that a sizeable proportion - between 27% and 48% - of women suffer from intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV leads to negative health outcomes among women, including vulnerability to HIV infection, depression and suicide. Lower socioeconomic status among women has been identified as a major risk factor for exposure to IPV. Evidence from existing studies shows that higher education level among women serves as a protective measure against IPV. However, knowledge about spatial variations in IPV and higher education among women is limited. Using estimates from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data, we employed geographically weighted regression analysis to examine the spatial variability of the relationship between women's post-secondary education and IPV. The results of our OLS and GWR models show that women's post-secondary education significantly reduce their exposure to IPV. Mapping the GWR coefficient estimates of women's post-secondary education shows that the protective effect of women's post-secondary education is high in the eastern and central parts of Uganda. The findings suggest geographical variations in the relationship between women's post-secondary education and IPV. It also offers insight on areas for possible interventions measures to reduce IPV rates among women and increase women's access to post-secondary education.