Prevalence and risk factors of obstetric violence in the Gaza strip: A retrospective study from a conflict setting.

OBJECTIVES:To assess the prevalence and risk factors of obstetric violence (OV) among laboring women in the past 5 years in the Gaza Strip (GS). METHODS:Women who delivered between January 2017 and December 2021 were invited to complete an anonymous online survey between November 2021 and February 2022 to explore their experiences of labor. RESULTS:Seven hundred twenty-two women completed the online questionnaire. Two-thirds (484; 67.2%) were in their 20s, and half (362; 50.1%) were from low socioeconomic households. A vast majority (508; 70.4%) delivered in a government hospital. Four out of ten (300; 41.6%) reported experiencing at least one form of OV. Among these women, the types of OV reported were physical (143; 47.8%), psychological (122; 40.8%), verbal (109; 36.4%), and sexual (13; 4.4%). Delivery in private facilities (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32-0.74) and prior knowledge of the care provider (AOR 0.37, 95% CI 0.23-0.59) were both independently protective for OV. In contrast, women's awareness of OV increased their likelihood of reporting it (AOR 3.45, 95% CI 2.37-5.01). CONCLUSION:GS has an alarming prevalence of reported OV. Increasing awareness of OV, identifying its causes, and developing locally led initiatives to eliminate it are urgently needed.