Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Spatial distribution and predictors of domestic violence against women:
Evidence from analysis of Ethiopian demographic health survey 2016
Version: 
0 
Date: 
13 Dec 2020
Reviewer: 
Agumasie Semahegn
Reviewer's report:
Reviewer report (13/12/2020)
Reviewer: Agumasie Semahegn
To: BMC Women's Health Journal
Title: Spatial Distribution and Predictors of Domestic Violence among Women
aged 15-49 in Ethiopia: Analysis of EDHS 2016 Dataset [BMWH-D-20-01114]
By Elias Seid Ali1*, Tesfahun Melese2, Kassahun Alemu3 
General comment 
It is a great honor to be a part of the open peer review process of the manuscript
with highest scientific quality. The research is on very important public health
problem which is domestic violence against women (VAW) in Ethiopia. It is a
common phenomenon in which research finding/evidence has invaluable
significance to inform policy makers. The spatial distribution is one of untapped
approach on VAW. I have gone through the manuscript from page to page and
found it well written. I have forward my suggestions for the further betterment of
the manuscript prior considering it for publication. Authors can find my review
comments as follow:
Minor modification
I suggest a bit modification on the title to avoid too much details and acronyms:
"Spatial distribution and predictors of domestic violence against women:
Evidence from analysis Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016"
Abstract 
Background: line 14-18: the study is already done, so it should be past tense at
the last sentence, and omit "…by using EDHS 2016 dataset". The source of data
can be indicated in the method section. 
Method: Line 19-21: omit 'secondary', and also avoid or define acronym at first
use "EDHS, RR, LLR". 
ResultResults: line 32: Consistently use either husband or partner instead of
husband/partner; suggest 'partner' which is more comprehensive.
Conclusion recommendation: line 45-47: edit 'd' before domestic violence. In
addition, the conclusion should be emanated from the key findings. Avoid
personal suggestions, such as 'high burden'… and also the recommendations
should be feasible and practicable. What should the stakeholders do to avert the
associated factors? Which factors should be targeted? 
- Keywords: EDHS?
Introduction
- Instead of narrating each country or regional figures regarding to domestic
violence, synthesis of existing literature will benefit the manuscript to enhance
its readability. See page 3: 
line 36-51: Tanzania 65%, 7%, it does not sound well,
likewise, avoid judgments 'for example, Ghana has lower prevalence (33%)' (5),
compared to Zambia (6). Therefore, introduction of the manuscript should be
organized starting by what is known from global figures to local. What is
unknown about domestic VAW in Ethiopia? 
- The introduction should be brief and no more than 1 pages, please
- Page 5: line 55-59: delete the last statement "The results from this study could
help to support the decision making of different stakeholders by identifying
locations with a high burden of the problem." Which may not add that much
quality to the manuscript. 
Methods 
- Study design: kindly omit the so called secondary data, the EDHS is primary
data, as far as you did not take the data for your own purpose, why do you want
to give more emphasis for the secondary nature of the data, if so where is the
novelty of the work? To be moderate, omit secondary. Give a little bit more
about Ethiopia, what already included is very scanty for a big country. 
- Sampling: Define acronyms, for example EAs (Enumerating Areas). Check the
issue of Visitors "All women age 15-49 and men age 15-59 who are the usual
members of the selected households and those who spent the night before the
survey in the selected households are eligible to be interviewed in the survey".
- Data acquisition: How was the data collection procedure? Just give readers a
brief summary about data collection. Because domestic VAW is very sensitive
issue. So who was (were) the interviewer? What was the safety measure
undertaken by the research team? In addition, how did you acquire the raw data?
What was the method use to extract data from the database? 
Result
- Correct it as 'Results'
- Husband/partners partner
- 3.2 Domestic violence against women (VAW): How was domestic VAW
measured? This may be addressed either this section or method section. Is
domestic VAW a composite measure or not? 
- What is the authors comment on the prevalence of emotional and physical
violence? How emotional violence can comes lesser than physical violence? I am
wondering how physical violence happen without having emotional violence?
- How was the reliability of the tool used to assess types of domestic VAW? 
- 3.5 Result of Logistic regression: just suggestion on the way of presentation of
AOR as (AOR=X, 95% CI: LCI,UCI)
- Table 2: Cross tabulation of Domestic VAW by regions; no (0%) domestic
VAW in Harari Regional state in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
How did you come up with this finding, which is contradicted with the EDHS
report? CHECK THE EDHS "By region, spousal violence (physical, sexual or
emotional) is most prevalent in Oromiya (38%) and Harari (37%), and least
prevalent in Somali (9%) (Table 15.10 and Figure 15.4)." This is very fatal
mistake in this manuscript. CHECK EDHS 2017, PAGE 295.
Thank you!
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
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presented?
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