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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
4260.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 3:30 PM

Abstract #110899

Are women identified through routine intimate partner violence screening ready to act?

Tameka Gillum, PhD1, Allison Garraway, MA2, Jeanne McCauley, MD, MPH3, Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN1, Dan Ford, MD, MPH4, and Louise-Anne McNutt, PhD5. (1) School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Anne M. Pinkard Building, 525 N. Wolfe Street/Room 306, Baltimore, MD 21205-2110, (2) Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, East Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21211-2895, (3) Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 3100 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore, MD 21211, (4) School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 2024 E. Monument Street, Suite 2-500, Baltimore, MD 21205, (5) Department of Epidemiology, University at Albany, School of Public Health, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, (518) 402-0403, LAM08@health.state.ny.us

Objective: To identify the types of services women identified through routine intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in a primary care center might utilize.

Methods: Women, ages 18 to 44 years, seen at a community health center between July and October, 2003 were enrolled in the study. Women completed one of three IPV screening protocols and all women completed the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS), a 31-item questionnaire that covers emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and harassment. Based on one of the screening programs (n=74) and the CAS (n=211), women were categorized as not abused, low to moderate level of abuse, and severe abuse. A list of 11 types of services was provided.

Results:. Of 211 women who reported having a partner in the past three months, approximately two-thirds were African-American and 22% Latina. 15.6% reported severe and 20.9% reported low to moderate levels of IPV. 31% of IPV victims reported thinking about seeking at least one service in the next 30 days. Services most considered include counseling, medication, support groups and safety planning. Also, about 10% of women planned to discuss abuse with a friend or family member. Only 3 (4%) women reported plans to discuss IPV with their physician/provider. Seeking legal advice, going to a domestic violence shelter and moving were also rarely considered for immediate action.

Conclusions: Routine IPV screening likely will result in helping contemplators take action. This study suggests that over a quarter of IPV victims identified may benefit from screening and assistance with linking to services.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Violence, Health Care Advocates

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Battered women are NOT helpless: Examining the complexity of how women cope with and survive intimate partner violence

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA