Domestic Violence and Quality of Life Among Pregnant Women During Covid-19 in Remote Areas of Indonesia

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic not only caused psychological problems but also increased domestic violence (DV) against pregnant women due to uncertainty about the pandemic’s outcome, which could adversely affect their Quality of Life (QoL). Therefore, understanding how DV affects QoL during pregnancy is essential. Therefore, it is essential to understand how DV affects QoL during pregnancy remote areas. Aim: To investigate the relationship between DV during pregnancy on QoL during the COVID-19 pandemic in remote area. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 647 out of 12,576 pregnant women attending six public health centers in remote areas of Pontianak, Indonesia. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were employed due to limited access and geographical constraints in remote settings. Data were collected between in June-July 2022. The instruments included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the WHO Violence Against Women Instrument (VAWI), and the Quality of Life Gravidarum (QoL-GRAV) questionnaire. Spearman rank correlation test was used to assess the relationship between DV and QoL. Results: A total of 47% of pregnant women experienced intimate partner violence, with physical violence being the most common form, followed by emotional violence and sexual violence. Among those exposed to DV, 24.4% had poor QoL. Women exposed to DV had significantly lower QoL scores compared to those who did not. A negative correlation was found between DV and QoL (r = – 0.223) COVID-19 status and employment were also significantly associated with DV (p < 0.05). Conclusion: DV negatively impacts the QoL of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic These findings highlight the need for strengthened policies, including routine psychological screening, counseling services, and the integration of digital-based psychiatric mental health nursing interventions, particularly in remote areas with limited healthcare access. Keywords: covid-19, domestic violence, pregnancy, quality of life