Understanding men’s attitudes toward the justification of wife-beating in Tanzania: insights from the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey

BACKGROUND: Male justification of wife-beating refers to a man's belief that it is acceptable or legitimate to physically discipline or assault his wife under certain circumstances. Research has predominantly focused on women, leaving a critical gap in understanding men's attitudes and beliefs surrounding violence against women. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to address this gap by examining the factors associated with male attitudes toward the justification of wife-beating in Tanzania. METHODS: This study employed an analytical cross-sectional design using secondary data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, which included 5,763 ever-married men. A modified Poisson regression model identified factors, and results were presented as weighted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of male justification of wife-beating was 30.4% (95% CI: 28.1-32.9). Younger men, aged 15-24 years (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [APR] = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.27-2.07), those aged 25-34 years (APR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.34), men who consume alcohol (APR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.17-1.53), those who were cohabiting (APR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.10-1.55) and in men residing in the western, northern, central, southern, and lake zones of mainland Tanzania exhibited significantly higher prevalence of wife-beating justification. Conversely, men with secondary/higher education (APR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.94) and in the middle wealth quantile (APR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66-0.99) were less likely to justify wife-beating. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a notable prevalence of male justification of wife-beating in Tanzania, with significant associations identified between key demographic and behavioral factors. These findings underscore the need for multi-pronged strategies that engage men, address socio-cultural norms, and harmful attitudes.