Domestic violence is the most common form of gender-based violence, considered a major contributor to physical and mental ill health of women. This study aimed at assessing prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence against married working women in Alexandria, Egypt.

Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among 400 married working women attending Health Insurance Clinics in Alexandria, using a modified FVPF questionnaire.

Results Overall prevalence of domestic violence was 67%, where psychological abuse was most common (48%) followed by physical violence (40%), sexual abuse (38%), financial abuse (30%). Out of the following studied significant factors (wife education, husband education, number of childern in the family, number of daughters in the family, positive history of cirumcision, wife's exposure to physical violence during childhood, mother's wife exposure to domestic violence, alcoholic husband, drug misuser husband, husband's exposure to physical violence during childhood, easily tempered, depressed/frustrated, jealous husband, husband's corrupt freinds, psychologically ill and introvert husband), only 4 were found to be positively and significantly related to domestic violence in stepwise logestic regression namely:husband's exposure to physical violence during childhood (OR 6.1); depressed/frustrated (OR 3.5); positive history of cirumcision (OR 3.2); number of daughters in the family (OR 2.1).

Conclusion Domestic violence against women is an important neglected public health problem in the Egyptian community that needs multidisciplinary approach to understand its causes and plan effective preventive measures. Healthcare providers can play a crucial role in addressing and treating victims of domestic violence.