The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50548

Henrique Barros, MD, PhD, Lucia Rocha, MPH, and Margarida Tavares, MD. Epidemiology, University of Porto Medical School, Al Prof Hernani Monteiro, Porto, 4200, Portugal, 351225507597, hbarros@mail.telepac.pt

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, to describe characteristics associated with and patterns of physical abuse against pregnant women, and how they experienced violence. We recruited 1780 Caucasian women consecutively delivered of a single new-born at Hospital São João, Porto, Portugal,. A structured questionnaire on sociodemographic, clinical, obstetric and behavioural characteristic, and the Portuguese version of the Abuse Assessment Screen were completed. Odds Ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR; 95%CI) were estimated using logistic regression. The prevalence of physical violence was 10.8%, with a significant decreasing trend from 23.4% among women with less than 5 years of education to 0.4% in those with 12 or more (OR=0.01; 0.00-0.08); The prevalence was also significantly higher among unmarried women (OR=5.0; 3.4-7.3), unplanned pregnancies (OR=18.5; 12.2-27.0), no prenatal care cases (OR=14.2; 7.7-26.4), smokers (OR=2.0; 1.4-2.8), usual drinkers (OR=3.8; 2.6-5.4) or drug abusers (OR=17.4; 5.9-51.4). These factors remained significant after adjusting for each~other. The perpetrator was most commonly the father's baby (85%) and most cases were described as mild or moderate in severity. Every case corresponded to a life long pattern of abuse and 50% of battered women were abused at least four times during pregnancy. Jealousy, alcohol or drug abuse of the partner, and dysfunctional family settings were self-reported as the reason underlying abuse. Physical abuse affects an important proportion of pregnant women in this relatively wealthy European population: Screening of violence deserves to be considered as part of prenatal care and battered women signaled as increased risk preganancy cases.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the importance of violence against pregnant women as a major public health problem in Europe;
• Identify determinants of physical abuse during pregnancy;
• Discuss the importance of screening for physical abuse during prenatal care;

Keywords: Battered Women, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.