Intimate partner violence and its association with alexithymia in pregnant women from two hospitals in Cusco, Peru: an analytical cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To determine the association between intimate partner violence and alexithymia in pregnant women treated at two hospitals in Cusco, 2025. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted, which included 286 pregnant women treated in the outpatient clinics of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Hospital Antonio Lorena and Hospital Regional del Cusco between February and April 2025. Direct interviews were applied using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST). Statistical analysis was performed using the generalized linear model (GLM) with Poisson distribution, logarithmic link function, and robust variance, calculating adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR). Results: 286 pregnant women were included. 71.7% presented alexithymia and 55.6% reported intimate partner violence (IPV). The study reveals that the prevalence of alexithymia was 50% higher in pregnant women with IPV (aPR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.26-1.79; p<0.001), adjusted for origin, educational level, employment status, economic situation, number of gestations, and pregnancy planning. Conclusions: Intimate partner violence was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of alexithymia in pregnant women treated at two hospitals in Cusco. Pregnant women exposed to violence showed a 50% higher prevalence of alexithymia, even after adjusting for sociodemographic and obstetric variables.