Title: Determinants of wife-beating acceptance among reproductive age women in Ethiopia:  A
multilevel analysis of 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
Version: 2 Date: 15 Apr 2021
Reviewer:  Maru Mekie
Reviewer's report:
Manuscript id 3728ec71-26c1-4d4e-988a-81ae6af570df
Title: Why women accepting wife beating? Determinants of wife beating acceptance among
reproductive age group women in Ethiopia.  Multilevel analysis
Review by Maru Mekie /MPH specialty in Reproductive and Family Health
Debre Tabor University
Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
General comments: The paper is well written in general and has relevance since the finding is
based on national data.
Title good if modified in this way:  “Determinants of wife beating acceptance among
reproductive age group women in Ethiopia Using EDHS data.  Multilevel analysis”.
It is difficult to answer “Why women accepting wife beating?” by using secondary data unless
you explore qualitatively. Hence, it is better to remove “Why women accepting wife beating”
in the title.
Abstract: Well written and informative but some issues which needs clarification are stated
below. The concerns raised on the abstract section also applies to the main document too. Please
address those issues in the abstract as well as the main document.
Method
Page 3 lines 53-54 “……..15,683 reproductive age group married women …….”needs to be
rephrased to make it meaningful.
Result
Page 3 line 61 ,It was stated that the study was conducted among married women based on
EDHS 2016 data. But the investigator reported that being married “Being married [AOR= 1.3,
95% CI= (1.1, 1.6)] was reported as less likely accepting wife beating”. How? Your study is
solely conducted among married women as you stated in the method section of the abstract.
Page 3 lines, 59   “Being Muslim follower [AOR=1.3, 95% CI= (1.1, 1.5)]” was reported as
significantly associated with wife beating on individual level factors. On the other hand “living
in Somali ….50% less likely accept wife beating when compare to women who live in Tigray
region” on page 3 lines 62-63. Almost all people of Somali Region of Ethiopia are more of
Muslim followers hence, if Being Muslim religion follower is associated with accepting wife
beating, how living in Somali region (most Muslim follower community) be associated with
less likely accepting wife beating?  I found the two issues are similar but contradicting findings.
Please clearly elaborate these issues.
Page 4 lines 70-71, please correct like this “improving educational coverage and community
level wealth status are important interventions to reduce the acceptance of wife beating among
women”.
Background: Somewhat good but there are issues to be addressed. The study was about
acceptance of wife beating and its determinant factors. However, the background is inclined to
GBV. Gender based violence is a broader term and the most appropriate term for this study is
domestic violence. It would be sound if it was about Domestic violence and related issues. It
would be good if the authors address this issue.
Page 4 lines 79-81 “Current study shows physical and/or sexual violence higher risk among
women and girls of younger age…        . wife beating is a widespread public health problem”.
Needs to be rephrased to make more reader friendly and language editing is relevant in this
regard. Capitalization is also an issue. Please address such issues.
Page 4 line 85 please correct the phrase as “In societies where violence is a norm, the level of
intimate partner violence…”
Page 4, lines 100-102. “National representative evidence is important to achieve the national
and international goals towards gender equity and equality, women empowerment and to ensure
health for all”. Please rewrite the sentence in quotation to make it more meaningful by reducing
the numbers of conjunction /and/.
Methods: Informative, well organized and found appropriate.
Page 6 line 114, “A total of 15,683 weighted reproductive age group women …….”. Please
make it consistent with the method and result in abstract part (page 3, lines 53-54 and line 61).
Page 6 lines 123 please correct word spacing “…..towardswife beating….”
Page 7 lines 147-148, “Multilevel analysis was conducted after checking the data was eligible
to multilevel analysis (by using intra-cluster correction coefficient”. Rephrase the sentence in
quotation to make it more meaningful. “Less meaningful to use two “was” in a single sentence.
Page 7 line 148, “When the ICC is greater than 10%.....” Please put the shortened one ICC with
its detail for the first appearance and then use the shortened one in subsequent appearances.
Results: Informative and well presented. Please try to clearly indicate reference variable in the
multivariable analysis table.
Discussion: Overall good. Better to add information about the implication of your finding.
How do you explain the implication of your finding regarding the discussion in page 19, lines
279-289? Then what?
5.1 The information on pages 19-20, lines 290-301, is against the information provided in
the method section of the abstract. On Page 3, line 61, the authors stated that ”the study was
conducted among married women based on EDHS 2016 data. But the investigator reported that
being married “. Please correct the inconsistency in the abstract and the main document in this
regard.
5.2. Please clear the issue on page 20, lines 302-305”….  Women who live in Somali region are
less likely accept wife beating when compared with women who live in Tigray region. Cultural,
religious values and norms may be different across the regions” which was also raised as a
concern on Page 3 lines, 59 in the abstract section. Clear the information on being Muslim as
accepting wife beating and living in Somali region /primarily Muslim community” as less likely
to accept wife beating.
Conclusion: Good.