Citation

Leung TW, Leung WC, Ng EH, Ho PC. Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 2005; 90(3): 258-262.

Affiliation

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijgo.2005.05.010

PMID

16005877

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of intimate partner violence on the quality of life in Obstetric/Gynecological (OBGYN) patients. METHOD: A total of 1614 OBGYN patients were classified into four groups (Group 1: requesting termination of pregnancy, n=300; Group 2: infertility patients, n=500; Group 3: other general gynecological patients, n=300; Group 4: obstetric patients, n=514) were successfully interviewed in the absence of their male partners, using a structured questionnaire modified from the Abuse Assessment Screen Questionnaire. Those who reported ever having been abused, together with an equal number of non-abused women as controls, were asked to complete the World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Abbreviated version (Hong Kong) Questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence was 7.2%, with the lifetime prevalence being 12.7%, 1.8%, 4.7%, and 10.9% respectively in Groups 1-4. The mean quality of life domain scores among the abused victims were significantly lower in the physical health domain, social relationship domain, environment domain and psychological health domain. CONCLUSION: The baseline quality of life of the victims of intimate partner violence is significantly impaired compared with the non-abused controls.