Publication year
2009
Citation Title
Prevalence of domestic violence in a pregnant military population.
Journal Name
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Journal Volume
113
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
866-872
DOI
10.1097/AOG.0b013e31819bdc93
Summary
Women were asked to complete a confidential domestic abuse screener during a routine prenatal visit at a Naval medical center. Data were used to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence and the characteristics of pregnant women reporting domestic violence. Approximately 15% of women screened positive for past or current abuse, and relationship status and history of abuse influenced current reports of abuse during pregnancy.
Key Findings
Fifteen percent of female patients screened positive for either past or current abuse.
Two percent reported experiencing abuse during pregnancy, most commonly slapping or pushing by a boyfriend.
Married participants were at lower risk of physical or emotional abuse then single, separated, or divorced women.
Family history of abuse also predicted increased risk of past-year abuse.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop support groups for couples during pregnancy
Create classes for pregnant women on awareness of domestic violence and how to spot the signs and symptoms
Participate in annual awareness events, such as Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Implications for Policy Makers
Create patient advocate positions to support families dealing with violence at each military medical center
Recommend military providers screen for domestic abuse at least once per trimester during prenatal care
Recommend military providers screen for family history of abuse during prenatal care
Methods
Participants were recruited at initial prenatal care appointments at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth between January 2007 and March 2008.
The survey was administered in a private setting in the hospital.
Partners completed a 5-item screener assessing physical, emotional, and sexual violence, as well as 19 items regarding risk factors and demographics.
Participants
Participants include female patients (N = 1,104) who were mostly dependent spouses of enlisted Navy personnel.
Approximately 56% of participants were White, 25% were Black, 10% were Latino/Latina, and 8% selected Other.
Average age: 24.5 years.
Limitations
As 5% of women chose not to participate, selection bias could have affected results.
Participants were only recruited from one Naval hospital, thereby limiting the generalizability of the findings.
All data were self-report which has inherent limitations, especially regarding sensitive topics such as domestic violence.
Avenues for Future Research
Screen women across the course of pregnancy for domestic violence
Utilize multiple sites to increase generalizability of findings
Assess help-seeking behaviors among abused women
Focus
Navy
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of domestic violence and the characteristics of pregnant women reporting domestic violence in a military setting. Methods: This was a prospective observational study of patients presenting for prenatal care to a Naval hospital from January 2007 to March 2008. Participants were screened anonymously for domestic violence using the Abuse Assessment Screen. Data were summarized using medians, interquartile ranges, and frequency distributions. Univariable comparisons between groups were conducted using Mann-Whitney tests for continuous data and 2 tests for categorical outcomes results: Of the 1,162 surveys, 14.5% screened positive for abuse (either current or past), and 1.5% of respondents reported current pregnancy abuse. Relative to married women, single women (odds ratio [OR] 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04 -3.16, P.036) and separated or divorced women (OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.59 - 7.46, P.002) were at an overall increased risk of physical or emotional partner abuse. Compared with married women, the single women (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.35-5.78, P.005), but not the separated or divorced women (P.172), were at increased risk for partner abuse in the previous 12 months. A family history of abuse also was associated with an increased risk of abuse within the previous 12 months (OR 5.99, 95% CI 2.99 -11.99, p .001). Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic violence in our pregnant military population was 14.5%, which is in the upper range of the prevalence reported in a nonmilitary population (0.9 -23%). Unmarried status and a history of abuse may indicate a higher abuse risk.
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