Citation

Rosen D, Seng JS, Tolman RM, Mallinger G. J. Interpers. Violence 2007; 22(10): 1305-1314.

Affiliation

University of Pittsburgh.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260507304551

PMID

17766728

Abstract

Estimates of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy vary by population being studied, measures, and other methodological limitations, hindering the ability to gauge the relationship between IPV and negative birth outcomes. The authors report aggregated data from a subsample (n = 148) of the first three waves of the Women's Employment Study. The authors compared groups of women who did and did not give birth to low birth weight infants on demographic, material deprivation, risk behavior, mental health, and IPV factors. The prevalence of domestic violence was more than twice as high for women with low birth weight infants as those women who had a normal weight infant. When considering additional risk factors, including food insufficiency, substance dependence, and depression and/or posttraumatic stress disorder, IPV remained a significant indicator, but it was most strongly associated with low birth weight among women also experiencing depression and/or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Language: en