Factors affecting domestic violence against women in Iran: a scoping review

Manzouri, Leila; Seyed-Nezhad, Maryam; Rajabi-Vasokolaei, Ghasem; Arabi, Alireza; Moardi-Joo, Mohammad

doi:10.1186/s12905-025-03770-8

BMC Women's Health

Table 2 Main factors, sub-factors, and factors affecting domestic violence against women in Iran

From: Factors affecting domestic violence against women in Iran: a scoping review

Main factors	Sub-factors	Factors affecting
Individual	Age	Older husband [21, 24]
		Younger women [61, 88]
		Increasing age of husband and wife [62, 66, 95]
		Increasing husband's age [34]
		Increasing age of women [65]
		Age gap of couples [37, 64, 77]
		Women age between 21 and 30 [71]
		Husband's age between 31 and 40 [71]
	Education	Low level of education of husband and wife [18, 19, 21, 25, 31, 35, 39, 42, 45, 46, 58, 61, 66,67,68, 84, 85, 96]
		Low level of husband's education [17, 36, 40, 50, 55, 57, 76, 77, 92, 93]
		Low level of women's education [22, 38, 41, 43, 44, 47, 56, 57, 63, 64, 69, 75, 78, 79, 82]
		Higher education of women compared to husbands [51, 81]
		Women higher education [62]
		Husband's higher education [86]
		Higher education level of husband and wife [20]
	Marriage	Marriage age of women below 18 years [22, 51]
		Marriage age of women below 20 years [29, 56]
		Marriage age of women below 21 years [71]
		Marriage age of women below 24 years [93]
		Marriage age of woman [64, 78, 84]
		Husband's marriage age [19, 33, 64, 78]
		Husband's marriage age is less than 30 years [93]
		More years passed since marriage [22, 56, 66, 86, 90]
		Forced marriage [37, 42, 45, 60, 65, 72, 83]
		Previous marriage history (for women or their partners) [35, 42]
		Husband's remarriage [26, 40, 62, 68]
		Remarriage of a woman [65]
		Unstable marriage [35]
		Shorter duration of marriage (early years of married life) [20, 40, 41, 65, 94, 95]
		Marriage of women at younger ages [19, 41, 42, 50]
		Polygamy [16, 44, 80, 83, 92]
		Unwanted marriages (marriages at a young age, arranged, and without recognition) [51]
		Emotional marriage [16]
		The period of engagement and marriage [20]
		Family marriage [56]
	Children	More children [19, 21, 22, 29, 34, 35, 53, 58, 64, 68, 84, 86, 95]
		Fewer children [41, 76, 78]
		Not having children [17, 36, 41]
		Having a child of the same sex [17]
		Gender of the child [65, 87]
		Not having a daughter [36]
		Factors related to raising children [54]
		Having a disabled child in the family [62]
		Having an adopted child [65]
Social factors	Addiction	Husband's addiction or drug use [16,17,18, 26, 35, 37, 40, 53, 60, 64, 66,67,68, 70, 72, 78,79,80,81, 84, 86, 87, 90, 92,93,94,95]
		Women's addiction or drug use [17, 72, 93]
		Women smoking [29, 44, 67, 71]
		Husband smoking [39, 56, 60, 67, 72, 82, 93, 94]
		Alcohol consumption by the husband [16, 60, 64, 66, 71, 90, 94, 95]
		Opium consumption [62]
	Interference of others	The involvement of the husband's family [17, 23, 26, 27, 51, 53]
		Living with husband's parents [16]
		The involvement of the husband and wife's family [54]
	Divorce	Divorced women [38]
		Divorce of the woman's parents [29]
		Widows [38]
		Living separately [34]
	History of violence	Having a history of wife abuse [21, 81]
		History of DV in the family of husband and wife [34]
		History of husband's violence [37]
		History of violence in husband's family [16, 83]
		Husband's criminal record [60, 71, 74, 83, 91]
		Experiencing and witnessing violence during childhood (husband and wife) [65, 67, 68]
		Experiencing and witnessing violence in childhood (husband) [89, 90]
		Experiencing and witnessing violence in childhood (women) [91]
		The experience of abused and unloved in childhood (husband and wife) [67]
		Exposure to sexual violence (before marriage) [70]
	Family structure	Crowded family situation or living in an extended family [35, 87]
		Non-participatory structure of power in the family [51]
		Lack of family support for women [29, 87]
	Marital relationship	Having suspicions or being skeptical of the husband [16, 17, 23]
		Husband's betrayal [23, 26]
		Dissatisfaction in sexual relationship (marital dissatisfaction) [17, 58]
		Marital satisfaction [71]
		Gender socialization [27]
		Sexual performance [53]
		Cold-tempered woman [65]
		Gender inequality [92]
	Social class	Low social class [51, 61]
	Social capital	Reduction of family social capital and its components (interpersonal trust, social support, social participation, family cooperation and cooperation, social relations and interactions, social tolerance, social cohesion, life satisfaction and legal awareness) [61]
		Low levels of social support [27, 61, 94]
		Lack of legal and social protections [54]
Psychological		Mental illness of husband and wife [93]
		Husband's mental illness [17, 39, 50, 66, 72, 75, 77]
		Women's mental illness [91]
		Women's higher stress [46]
		Higher depression in women [46, 47]
		Higher anxiety in women [46, 47]
		Lower quality of life in terms of women's mental health [48]
		Husband’s behavioral disorder [16]
		Psychological factors [54]
		Job stress [58]
		Life stresses [58]
		Personality and behavioral characteristics of the husband [58]
		History of mental disorders of husband and wife [62, 71, 96]
		Female nervous disease [68]
		Emotional state of women [72]
		Use of nerve agents [80]
		Lowering the excitability threshold [92]
Pregnancy		Birth of a low birth weight baby [32, 85]
		Premature birth [32]
		Unwanted pregnancy [30, 57, 60, 67, 73, 88]
		History of contraception [53]
		First pregnancy [57]
		Premature rupture of the curtain [60]
		Abortion [60, 80, 93]
		Inadequate care during pregnancy [67]
		Number of IVF [72]
		Multiple pregnancies [73]
		Number of pregnancies [88]
		Lack of prenatal care [88]
		Inadequate participation of men in pregnancy care [88]
		Bitter and unfortunate risks during pregnancy and childbirth [88]
		Not Pregnant [95]
Economic factors	Income	Low income of women [44, 58, 69]
		Husband's low income [37, 58, 69]
		Low household income [19, 46, 56, 57, 65, 77, 90]
		Average to low household income [34, 42, 76]
	Employment	Husband's unemployment [17, 22, 24, 36, 41, 67, 68, 76, 80,81,82, 84, 90]
		Inappropriateness of the husband's job [17, 35, 36, 77]
		Being an employee of the husband [62]
		Women's unemployment [45,46,47, 50, 64, 69, 90, 92]
		Unemployment of both [51, 94]
		Unsuitability of women's jobs [19, 57]
		Housewives [22, 36, 41, 56, 60, 63, 67, 76, 77, 79]
		Self-employed women [38]
		Simultaneous employment of husband and wife [51]
		Women working outside the home [20, 55, 78]
		Unemployment of women and employment of husbands [20]
		Opposition to women's employment [71]
		Non-government job [75, 96]
	Residence status	Personal property [21]
		Rental property [24, 34, 57, 71, 88, 95]
		Living in rural areas [39, 52, 88]
		Being a non-native without or being an immigrant [51]
		Place of birth of husband and wife (small and rural areas) [31, 68]
	Economic class	Low economic class of parents of husband and wife [53]
		Husband's lower economic class [61]
		Existence of class differences [17]
	Economic situation	Poor economic situation in general [16, 17, 29, 35, 36, 60, 81, 86, 94]
		Financial dependence on people around [16]
		Division of inheritance [26]
		Separate bank account [65]
		Not having a personal car [88]
		Ownership of women's property [65]
		Subsistence poverty [92]
Cultural factors	Patriarchy	Patriarchy in general [49, 52, 74, 89]
		Being the absolute decision-maker of the man at home [16]
		Patriarchal attitude [52, 89, 92]
		Reduction of men's power resources in the family [52]
		Accepting the authority of the husband [27]
		The authority and dominion of the husband [27, 89]
		Low power of women in the family [61]
	Tradition	Traditionalism [52]
		Increasing belief in attitudes (cultural beliefs) that generate violence [31]
		Traditional marriage [65]
		Traditional social system (unequal power relations in society) [89]
		Having a family relationship [68]
	Cultural development	Low level of cultural development of the place of residence [31, 50]
	Ethnicity	Ethnicity [31, 50]

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ISSN: 1472-6874

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