INVESTIGATING THE LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ABUSE DURING CHILDBIRTH AND ITS RELATED FACTORS IN WOMEN HOSPITALIZED IN THE POSTPARTUM WARD OF GHODS HOSPITAL IN PAVEH

Midwifery violence has become a prominent global issue in the past decade, yet it has not received sufficient attention in Iran. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the level of physical abuse during childbirth and its related factors in women hospitalized in the postpartum ward of Ghods Hospital in Paveh.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on women who gave birth and were hospitalized at Ghods Hospital, Paveh, Iran and met the inclusion criteria. The data collection tool was a questionnaire on mothers' personal and midwifery characteristics, as well as a checklist of disrespect and misbehavior during childbirth. Two hundred and seventy-six participants were selected using convenience sampling. The data was analyzed using SPSS 21 statistical software and univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests. The significance level was considered p<0.05.

The results revealed that 17% of the participants had experienced physical abuse. Among the examined characteristics, the level of education and household income had a significant effect on the incidence of physical abuse (p<0.05)..

The low incidence of misbehavior during childbirth among women with low economic income and higher education may indicate the influence of expectations of women of receiving respectful care and their awareness of their rights to report mistreatment. Therefore, increasing awareness of women of their rights, particularly in marginalized communities, can effectively enhance their care.