afghan refugee men’s perspectives on intimate partner violence against women: a qualitative study using the precede-proceed model

Background and purpose: intimate partner violence (ipv) is an important global issue. refugee women face higher ipv due to displacement, sociocultural barriers, and limited access to support. this study aimed to explore afghan refugee men’s perspectives on ipv against women using the precede-proceed model, focusing on identifying predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors.materials and methods: this is a qualitative study using thematic analysis. data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 17 afghan men residing in torbat-e jam refugee camp in iran, whose wives had reported ipv in the past two months. they were selected using a purposive sampling method until theoretical saturation. interviews were conducted from august to october 2024. interviews were conducted at the torbat jam refugee camp clinic, recorded and transcribed verbatim. data analysis was performed in maxqda software, version 18. the themes were developed deductively based on the precede constructs.results: four main themes were identified: predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors, and other factors. predisposing factors included perceived norms, self-efficacy, beliefs (perceived barriers, perceived benefits, perceived threats), values, attitudes, and knowledge. enabling factors included skills, availability of resources, accessibility of services, and community/government laws/policies. reinforcing factors included families, peers, media, and community leaders. other factors (non-behavioral) included economic status, age, gender, ethnicity, and genetics.conclusion: the findings highlight that predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors significantly shape afghan men’s violent behaviors toward women. targeted interventions addressing these factors can effectively reduce ipv and promote healthier attitudes, contributing to a more respectful society.