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Paper short abstract:

We examine intersection between two pertinent issues that pose significant threats to health and well-being of women: intimate partner violence and anaemia. We analyze causal association between them and provide evidence of anaemia leading to IPV using a nationally representative dataset from India.

Paper long abstract:

The grappling dual burden of anaemia and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) among married women in India reflects a significant policy crisis in achieving the SDGs. While a thin branch of literature examines the plausibility of the channel where spousal violence may trigger risk of anaemia in women through cumulative levels of deprivations and psychosocial stress, this paper estimates the non-trivial channel where prevalence of anaemia may increase exposure to IPV. Anaemia is associated with reduced physical work capacity, quality of life, loss of productivity, and income-earning capacity. It is also linked with women’s reduced ability to manage multiple responsibilities efficiently like childcare, elderly in-laws’ care, daily household tasks like cooking and cleaning etc., instigating the partner to indulge in violence. Moreover, sexual dysfunction due to anaemia can further exacerbate the risk of violence. Using the latest round of nationally representative datasets, we provide robust evidence of anaemia leading to IPV. The potential endogeneity concern is addressed through an instrumental variable approach. We use exogenous variation in district-level prevalence of anaemia, and age of the women during first birth as instruments for anaemia. Our findings reveal that anaemia has a significant impact on some form of IPV. Moreover, the effect is higher for physical violence. The results are robust to alternative estimation techniques and additional factors. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analysis indicates a higher impact of anaemia on IPV in rural areas and among socio-economically underprivileged groups indicating the intersection of poor health, domestic violence, and socioeconomic disadvantage among women.