Researching domestic violence against women: Methodological and ethical considerations

The results of three population-based studies on violence against women in Nicaragua are compared in this article. Two of the studies were regional in scope (Leon and Managua) and focused specifically on women's experiences o f violence, whereas the third study was a Demographic and Health Survey (DH S) conducted with a nationally representative sample of women. The lifetime prevalence estimates for women's undergoing physical violence fi from a pa rtner were significantly higher in the Leon stimy (52 percent) and Managua study (69 percent), compared with that given in tile DHS (28 percent). Poss ible explanations for the differences al e examined through pooled multivar iate logistic regression analysis, as well as analysis of six focus-group d iscussions carried out with field-workers and staff from the three studies. The most important differences that were found concerned ethical and safet y procedures and the interview setting. The results indicate that prevalenc e estimates for violence are highly sensitive to methodological factors, an d that underreporting is a significant threat to validity.