Title: Magnitude and determinants of intimate partner violence against women in East Africa:
Multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health survey
Version: 1 Date: 06 Jan 2022
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for the opportunity to read this important article. It will help the field consider how
to move forward not just in Africa but for those working with immigrant populations traveling
to other countries as well. While I hope to see this article published – there is work needed to
smooth the article with overarching themes: active voice, use of plural/singular, appropriate use
of acronyms, and language terminology. I offer suggestions below to get the ball rolling and
wish you luck.
Title – Sums the article up nicely.
Abstract
Rather than use language that isn’t active – try this instead: The current study aimed to
determined
Intimate Partner Violence isn’t capitalized.
Methods: Under methods for abstract – We utilized the most recent… active voice. Combine the
first two sentences – re the sample “which was comprised of 55,501 – taking on “were included”
at the end of the sentence is passive voice. Same throughout this section. You had already made
IPV an acronym above – use it in the last sentence of methods.
Results: Use IPV throughout. Form should be plural. “wife beat” should say wife beating or
violence against a wife.
Conclusion: You restate what is in the findings which isn’t necessary. Instead, start with a brief
summary: risk factors noted above increase the rate for a woman to experience IPV. Therefore,
we recommend…
Background
Please provide a citation for your definition of IPV. I am unfamiliar with the one you chose. We
include economic abuse and emotional harm which doesn’t include high change of ending in
your end results. I understand the nuance between violence and abuse – so curious where you
drew your support from. Use the acronym IPV where you have the word spelled out throughout
the rest of the document unless the beginning of a sentence – but even then by APA standards
– it is ok given the familiarity of the term.
“an infant” should be plural given “women” follows.
Prevalence of IPV was "has" remained
The findings of this study
Methods
Please convert to active voice “We conducted secondary analysis…” Your data source repeats
what you  note in the sentence above. You can combine these sections. Please check this section
for plural and singular. Also apply the IPV acronym throughout.
Please read the sexual violence for language use: “any physical force” – not physically
This section may read cleaner if you just list the questionnaire as an appendix. “wife beat” is not
a term used. You might say partners who abuse their wives or wife beating. Beat is not the right
tense if you decide to keep this language.  You need possessive “husband” throughout should
be husband’s if possessive. Under data management variable should be plural.
Results
Please include standard deviations for continuous variables means. Please check for plural/
singular. “More than half of the study participants” Please align the last column in table 1. This
can be done using right justified label. Magnitude should not be capitalized. Check caption in
Figure 1 for capitalization. Page 14 line 206 paragraph please check plural/singular for husband.
Please not the line 216 finding that women who visit their family are more likely to be abused.
Let’s ponder that in the conclusion as that is not typical in worldwide data – suggesting there is
something unique here. Isolation is usually associated with worse violence.
Discussion
Page 15, line 236 “experience higher”
Page 16, line 250 “with no good relationship” – perhaps without a good relationship or without
a good relationship foundation
Page 16, line 251 “may be occurring” , husband’s alcohol intake
Page 16, 257 “After drinking alcohol” “and leave”
Page 17 – “they” “her life” – please match for plural singular - same with line 271, line 280 East
should be capitalized. “consider heterogeneity – perhaps we must consider”. Finding should be
plural. Line 283 underreporting not underreport
Conclusion
Page 18 line 285 near should not be capitalized
Page 19 line 315 Authors received
References
Some of the references are missing page numbers
Some of the article and journal titles need capitalization