The influence of wife abuse on women’s reproductive choices in Southern African Countries: Findings from a cross-sectional analysis of demographic and health surveys

Understanding women's attitudes towards wife abuse and its effects on their reproductive choices is crucial for promoting gender equality in Southern Africa. However, a paucity of research has explored this relationship. Using IPUMS Demographic and Health Surveys data from 2011-2018 across eight Southern African nations, we analyzed 17,968 women's attitudes towards wife beating and their reproductive choices through a cross-sectional design and multilevel logistic regression models. Our findings reveal that 84.9% of women expressed negative attitudes towards wife abuse, with 44.2% demonstrating autonomy in reproductive choices. Women who opposed wife beating exhibited greater autonomy in reproductive decision-making (44.6%), while those justifying wife discipline showed decreased autonomy (aOR = 0.84, 95% CI [0.78-0.91]). Older age (aOR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.19-1.58]) and higher education (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI [1.18-2.60]) increased the likelihood of autonomy. Country-level variations were evident, with Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia showing higher autonomy odds compared to Angola. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions and policies to shift attitudes and promote gender equality and reproductive health in Southern Africa.