ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence occurs in all settings. In this paper the authors describe socio-cultural factors affecting intimate partner violence against pregnant women in suburban Hamadan. The PEN-3 model was utilized by semi-structured interviews with 18 pregnant women. According to women, cultural perceptions (patience in case of facing violence, faith in fate and normalization of violence), enablers (communication skills, economic status, and availability of legal support), and nurturers (family support and social expectation of obedience to men) were found to be important factors that influence violence. A better understanding of the cultural perceptions can help decision-makers in identifying the cultural appropriateness of interventions.
