Exploring the Link Between Forms of Intimate Partner Violence and Women Survivors’ Access to Support Systems at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Nairobi County

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a pressing public health and human rights concern in Kenya, particularly in urban areas where socio-economic inequalities, cultural norms, and systemic barriers intersect to affect survivors’ experiences. This study examines the relationship between different forms of IPV and barriers to help-seeking behaviour in Urban Kenya. The research targeted Gender Based Violence Survivors at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi County. The study was anchored on the Modified Survivor Theory and the Barrier Model to help understand how access to support systems varies across the different IPV forms. A mixed-methods research design was used, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. The target population consisted of women survivors of IPV and key informants from the hospital. Through stratified sampling, 390 women survivors of IPV were selected to take part in the study, with 12 key informants. A socio-demographic questionnaire (SDQ) and the 2020 modified version of the Barriers to Help-Seeking for Trauma Scale and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The study found that physical, sexual, and emotional IPV are some of the prevalent forms of IPV. Quantitative findings revealed significant negative correlations between certain forms of IPV and internal barriers: injury (r = -0.297, p < .001), sex coercion (r = -0.224, p < .001), physical aggression (r = -0.212, p < .001), and negotiation (r = -0.209, p < .001). Similarly, external barriers were significantly correlated with injury (r = -0.214, p < .001) and negotiation (r = -0.124, p = .017). Further analysis established the presence of internal and external barriers, which, when correlated to the different forms of IPV, revealed a significant relationship.  This implies that there is a link between IPV survivor women’s decision to seek help and the form of violence they have encountered.