Correlates of attitudes toward wife beating among married/partnered individuals in Lao PDR: results from the 2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey.

Background: The pervasiveness of wife-beating attitudes (WBA) acceptance is alarming and significantly influences intimate partner violence (IPV). Understanding correlates of this acceptance is important for designing targeted interventions and policies to reduce IPV. Methods: Using de-identified data from the Lao PDR Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2023, a secondary analysis of WBA and their correlates in currently married/partnered men and women aged 15-49 years was conducted, with separate analyses performed for each sex. The correlates analyzed were age, educational attainment, residence, household wealth, number of children, multiple wives/partners, media exposure, alcohol use in the past 30 days, and age difference between a woman and her husband/partner. Simple binary logistic regression models were used to select correlates at a Results: The prevalence of WBA acceptance was 13.51% in women and 11.02% in men. For both sexes, the most commonly accepted reason for wife beating was if the wife argues with her husband, and the least common was if she burns the food. In the multivariable models, exposure to media was statistically significantly associated with lower odds of WBA acceptance in both sexes. In men, alcohol use in the past 30 days was associated with increased odds of WBA acceptance, while in women, having a husband/partner 10 years or more older was associated with decreased odds of such acceptance. Conclusion: The prevalence of WBA acceptance in double digits is concerning in Laos, suggesting the need for targeted health education and promotion campaigns to raise awareness about adverse and harmful attitudes, with a focus on both sexes and women's rights. Strategies to increase media exposure and use of media as a vehicle for tackling such attitudes hold promise.