Citation

O'Campo PJ, Gielen AC, Faden RR, Kass N. Womens Health Issues 1994; 4(1): 29-37.

Affiliation

Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8186724

Abstract

We report on the occurrence of verbal abuse and physical violence during pregnancy for 358 low-income women. Overall, 65% of the women in our study experienced either verbal abuse or physical violence during their pregnancies. Twenty percent of the women in our sample experienced moderate or severe violence. Perpetrators, although primarily male partners, included family members and friends. These rates varied by age, with younger women experiencing significantly higher rates of verbal abuse and physical violence. There was no association between verbal abuse or physical violence and birth weight or gestational age. Prenatal care may be one of the only opportunities that women, and especially disadvantaged women, may have to get proper assistance with domestic violence. We conclude that enhanced screening, counseling, and referral by obstetricians and other health care providers are some of the immediate activities that could be implemented in prenatal care settings to address the compelling problems of violence during pregnancy.This study examines the frequency, perpetrators, and impact of verbal abuse and physical violence among low-income pregnant women. A cohort of 358 low-income pregnant women attending the Johns Hopkins Hospital Adult Obstetric Clinic between December 1989 and September 1990 were included in the study. Information gathered through interview and descriptive analysis revealed that 65% of the women experienced verbal abuse and physical violence during pregnancy; 20% had been through moderate to severe violence. Violence was primarily inflicted by male partners and also by other family members and friends. Moreover, the occurrence of verbal abuse and physical violence were significantly higher among younger aged women, but no association was noted between violence and birth weight and gestational age. Due to the fact that prenatal care may be the only opportunity for low-income women to obtain medical assistance and referral services, prenatal care should include enhanced screening, counseling, and good referral by obstetricians and other health providers in order to address this problem.

Language: en