Frequency of different types of intimate partner violence in selected health units of the National Health Service of Mozambique: A retrospective study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes a wide range of abusive behaviours perpetrated by someone involved or who was involved in an intimate relationship with the victim, and is a serious and preventable public health problem globally. This article reports on the frequency of different types of IPV in selected health units of the Mozambican National Health Service. The study was based on a cross-sectional and retrospective quantitative approach, where the data referring to the year prior to the study, was collected in a single moment in each study location, based on the records of the cases of violence. Sexual violence was the most prevalent, among adolescents and young people from urban areas; sociodemographic factors such as gender, age and origin are associated with the occurrence of IPV. There is a strong association between the type of IPV and the victim's origin, and people from urban areas are twice as likely to experience IPV compared to rural areas. The association between IPV and the gender of victims, and between gender and age group with the occurrence of IPV, has not been proven. Key words: Violence, domestic violence, partner, abuse, frequency.