Title: Prevalence and Factors Influencing Intimate Partner Sexual Violence against Women
Aged 15-49 in Kenya: Findings from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey
Version: 1 Date: 26 Mar 2024
Reviewer's report:
Prevalence and Factors Influencing Sexual Violence against Women Aged 15-49 in Kenya:
Findings from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey
• The authors’ use of the latest DHS dataset is appreciated.
• However, the outcome variable is not clear. In the title and many other places, sexual
violence is mentioned. They should clarify whether it is a lifetime or recent sexual violence
experience, whether intimate or any form of sexual violence. The methods section states a
different outcome variable “Is beating justified if a wife refuses to have sex with her husband?"
Which reflects attitude toward sexual and physical violence. This is a key issue that affects the
whole manuscript.
• Abstract methods - Were all women asked questions about violence? Wasn’t the violence
module used? What was the actual sample size? What approaches did the authors use for
analysis?
o Omit the bivariate results in the abstract since they are not conclusive. Include the AOR and
reference categories – insert some statistics in the results section.
o The conclusion could be strengthened to avoid  repetitiveness
• Introduction – cite Sustainable Development Goals rather than MDGs. There is more literature
on sexual violence in the region that could be reviewed.
• Methods – In the study design, please refer to the KDHS rather than providing all the details.
o If fewer women were interviewed about sexual violence, show how you came up with the
final sample size.
o Spouse characteristics are included; does this mean the outcome is intimate partner sexual
violence?
o Check the outcome variable and ascertain whether it is what is used for analysis.
o Number of household members – 5 is omitted.
o I am not sure about the 2 approaches to bivariate analysis – whether it is necessary.
o The last statement should be placed under data source.
o The authors should indicate the variable used for application of weights and other statistical
measures such as the application of the SVYset that are usually considered for analysis of DHS
data.
Results
• Table 2 refers to attitude toward physical and sexual violence if a woman refuses to have sex
with her husband. Please review.
• The tables are quite crowded. Results of bivariate analysis could exclude frequencies (an N can
be indicated in the relevant columns. The ORs and CI could be rounded off to 2 decimal places).
• Table 3, when presenting the results – what was the reference category for age? There appears
to be some confusion.
• It would help to bold the significant categories. Was a binary logistic regression used for
multivariable analysis? If so, please present P values for each category, otherwise, I am not sure
of the results for religion in Table 3.
Discussion
• Use current statistics.
• Please discuss conclusive results (not bivariate analysis results).
• The style of presentation and discussion of results requires improvement and strengthening.
Acknowledgments
• Being secondary data, details after the first sentence are not necessary.
References
• Edit the references. e.g. no.2.  A review of studies in the region that address sexual violence
will help the authors to discuss their results better.