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Journal of Population Sciences

Table 2 Percent distribution of women who agreed that a husband is justified for beating his wife by marital status according to individual characteristics, 2003, 2008, and 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

From: Explaining trends and patterns in attitudes towards wife-beating among women in Nigeria: analysis of 2003, 2008, and 2013 Demographic and Health Survey data

Covariates

2003

2008

2013

Ever-married

Single

All

Ever-married

Single

All

Ever-married

Single

All

Total

66.4

50.4

62.4

48.8

34.9

45.7

39.1

30.6

37.1

Age

 15–24

73.7

59.0

65.3

57.4

45.5

51.1

46.5

38.2

41.9

 25–34

66.2

39.2

63.5

49.8

35.0

48.2

40.5

30.2

39.3

 35 years and above

64.0

37.5

63.7

48.7

38.6

48.5

37.4

28.8

37.3

χ 2 = test

37.1***

35.8***

2.3

122.9***

45.3***

23.1***

143.0***

39.3***

59.3***

Spousal age difference

 Less than 5 years

62.2

NA

62.2

45.5

NA

45.5

37.4

NA

37.4

 5–9 years

65.8

 

65.8

49.3

 

49.3

40.9

 

40.9

 10–14 years

69.8

 

69.8

53.4

 

53.4

41.1

 

41.1

 15 years and above

71.4

 

71.4

55.2

 

55.2

43.0

 

43.0

χ 2 = test

24.2***

 

24.2***

112.5***

 

112.5***

38.1***

 

38.1***

Highest level of education

 None

76.6

66.7

76.1

58.1

54.9

58.0

47.5

40.1

47.2

 Primary

66.2

65.4

66.0

53.7

56.2

54.0

42.1

47.7

42.8

 Secondary

52.5

56.7

54.8

40.1

44.4

42.3

33.7

38.1

35.7

 Post-secondary

35.1

31.7

33.7

23.6

24.9

24.1

19.5

22.5

20.7

χ 2 = test

358.1***

69.2***

481.7***

1000.0***

236.1***

1300.0***

837.9***

181.3***

1000.0***

Religious affiliation

 Catholic

53.8

51.6

52.8

49.8

50.9

50.2

44.4

43.5

44.0

 Other Christians

55.7

54.7

55.3

42.5

41.3

42.0

34.2

36.3

35.0

 Muslim

76.0

66.7

74.8

56.2

46.3

55.1

43.7

33.3

42.3

 Others

67.8

52.9

65.9

63.7

42.4

61.3

52.3

54.4

52.6

χ 2 = test

262.8***

26.1***

337.5***

444.3***

43.9***

539.7***

277.5***

55.6***

268.1***

Wealth quintile

 First

76.2

64.2

74.2

59.4

57.1

59.2

51.1

44.7

50.6

 Second

75.5

63.5

73.1

57.8

55.1

57.4

49.7

48.9

49.5

 Third

68.6

61.4

66.6

54.5

52.5

54.0

43.8

47.7

44.9

 Fourth

65.8

58.7

63.5

45.7

44.3

45.2

33.6

35.1

34.1

 Fifth

47.5

46.4

47.0

29.1

27.8

28.6

21.8

24.4

22.7

χ 2 = test

262.8***

44.1***

333.4***

1100.0***

398.5***

1600.0***

1400.0***

408.1***

1800.0***

Type of marital union

 Monogamous

64.0

NA

64.0

47.8

NA

47.8

38.5

NA

38.5

 Polygamous

74.0

 

74.0

57.6

 

57.6

45.3

 

45.3

χ 2 = test

53.8***

 

53.8***

206.0***

 

206.0***

118.7***

 

118.7***

Number of living children

 None

69.0

56.6

59.7

52.7

43.5

45.8

42.0

36.5

37.8

 1–2 children

67.8

55.4

67.1

49.8

49.9

49.8

39.5

41.0

39.6

 3–4 children

66.2

100.0+

66.3

49.6

50.0

49.6

39.5

48.2

39.5

 5 children and above

66.8

0.0+

66.8

53.6

75.0

53.7

42.4

40.0

42.4

χ 2 = test

2.0

2.9

37.3***

33.9***

11.6***

104.6***

22.9***

6.9

43.9***

Women’s autonomy (decision-making process)

 Participated or involved

60.6

47.8

58.4

49.2

NA

49.2

35.9

NA

35.9

 Not participated or involved

74.1

60.0

69.0

53.6

 

49.6

45.3

 

41.8

χ 2 = test

75.1***

25.6***

48.6***

51.4***

 

0.5

264.5***

 

135.0***

Place of residence

 Urban

61.2

55.4

59.3

40.0

34.4

38.1

30.3

31.0

30.5

 Rural

70.8

57.7

67.7

55.4

51.1

54.6

46.2

43.7

45.7

χ 2 = test

54.0***

1.0

55.9***

486.8***

223.6***

777.7***

700.3***

168.8***

901.8***

Geopolitical zone

 North-Central

54.2

56.5

54.8

49.3

44.1

48.0

36.9

35.7

36.6

 Northeast

92.7

88.5

92.1

54.1

56.7

54.4

61.8

51.2

60.1

 Northwest

76.1

65.7

75.1

61.8

46.0

60.7

38.4

28.3

37.3

 Southeast

32.7

42.1

37.2

51.3

48.7

50.2

43.1

41.8

42.6

 South-South

62.6

62.9

62.7

45.9

48.1

46.8

36.5

39.7

37.7

 Southwest

50.7

50.3

50.6

31.9

27.8

30.5

22.2

26.3

23.4

χ 2 = test

879.4***

146.6***

1100.0***

865.0***

258.9***

1200.0***

1700.0***

240.2***

1900.0***

Region of residence

 Northern

76.1

67.7

74.8

55.9

47.9

54.7

45.0

37.8

43.8

 Southern

48.6

50.9

49.6

41.8

41.5

41.7

32.6

36.3

33.9

χ 2 = test

414.7***

53.7***

510.4***

449.1***

31.3***

542.6***

430.6***

2.5

387.5***

Ethnic affiliation

 Hausa/Fulani

80.0

75.9

79.7

61.2

53.4

60.8

44.7

33.2

43.5

 Igbo

37.4

44.8

40.8

46.1

44.9

45.6

38.6

38.9

38.7

 Yoruba

44.4

48.1

46.0

31.6

29.5

30.9

20.3

24.1

21.5

 Northern minorities

74.7

68.1

73.1

57.2

56.4

57.1

48.2

44.5

47.3

 Southern minorities

64.9

61.2

63.2

43.7

45.8

44.5

36.2

38.9

37.2

 Others including foreigners

71.7

66.3

69.9

49.0

47.8

48.7

46.0

51.8

47.5

χ 2 = test

643.3***

101.4***

781.5***

938.1***

194.7***

1200.0***

955.2***

212.0***

1100.0***

Frequency of listening to radio

 Never or less than once a week

70.9

62.3

68.8

54.9

47.9

53.6

45.0

40.8

44.1

 At least once a week

64.3

53.3

61.0

46.9

41.4

45.3

32.8

32.1

32.6

χ 2 = test

27.0***

15.9***

49.7***

158.7***

33.1***

226.2***

416.3***

79.3***

509.1***

Frequency of watching television

 Never or less than once a week

71.1

59.6

68.8

56.1

50.6

55.2

44.8

40.8

44.0

 At least once a week

57.1

53.8

55.8

39.1

38.6

38.9

31.2

33.1

31.9

χ 2 = test

98.4***

7.1***

127.2***

602.5***

115.3***

807.3***

470.5***

62.2***

546.9***

Frequency of reading newspaper or magazine

 Never or less than once a week

69.1

59.1

66.6

52.8

46.7

51.5

41.5

38.1

40.7

 At least once a week

46.5

48.2

47.4

28.2

33.4

30.8

27.1

30.8

28.8

χ 2 = test

94.6***

17.5***

130.6***

393.7***

95.0***

529.7***

161.0***

31.8***

198.9***

  1. Asterisk on the first proportion means that the relationship is significant based on chi-square test