If emotional violence is included, the number rises to 58 percent, according to the joint study by the United Nations and the Vietnamese government.

"Although domestic violence is widespread, the problem is very much hidden," Henrica Jansen, the lead researcher for the study, said in a statement released by the United Nations Population Fund.

"Besides the stigma and shame causing women to remain silent, many women think that violence in relationships is 'normal' and that women should tolerate and endure what is happening to them for the sake of family harmony," she said.

One out of four women who were physically or sexually abused by their husbands reported suffering physical injuries. Of those, more than half said they were injured multiple times, according to the study.

"This report highlights the urgency of breaking the silence," Jean Marc Olive, the World Health Organization representative in Vietnam, said in the statement. "All of us owe it to the women who suffer from domestic violence, and the women who took part in this survey, to step up, speak out, and end domestic violence."

The study, the first of its kind in Vietnam, interviewed 4,838 women between the ages of 18 and 60. It was conducted from December 2009 to February this year.

It did not give comparative figures for other countries.

The Associated Press - November 26, 2010