A randomized trial of screening for intimate partner violence in young women

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Niki Palmetto, MPH¹, Kathleen Jones², Leslie L. Davidson, MD, MSc¹, Vaughn I. Rickert, PsyD², Vicki Breitbart, MSW³, Jini Tanenhaus, PA³, Tamu Aljuwani, MSW³, Melissa Forbes³, Michelle Zeitler, MPH⁴, Leslie Rottenberg, MSW³, and Lynne Stevens, LCSW, BCD⁵. (1) Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168 St, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10032, 415-271-2063, npp2102@columbia.edu, (2) Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 649 Prospect Place, 1B, Brooklyn, NY 11216, (3) Planned Parenthood New York City, 26 Bleeker St, New York, NY 10012, (4) Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, 622 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, (5) Department of Family Medicine, Boston University, 1 Boston Medical Center Place, Boston, MA 02118

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of three approaches to screening women aged 15-24 years for intimate partner violence (IPV). Our prior work found that young women a) did not mind being screened for partner violence, b) felt the health care provider was the most appropriate person to screen, c) wanted to begin with the positive not negative aspects of a relationship, and d) often reported participating in violent aspects of a relationship.

700 young women seeking reproductive care were consented and randomized to one of three IPV screens. Screen A included three questions on current physical and sexual violence and controlling behavior and two questions on lifetime experience. Screen B built on Screen A but began with two questions asking about positive aspects of the relationship (trust and respect); Screen C added three reciprocal questions about her violent behavior. Using an audio-CASI program the screens were incorporated into the clinical information forms women completed prior to seeing a provider who used the screen results in assessing and referring the woman appropriately.

The five common questions across the IPV screens were summed to yield a total likelihood of occurrence scale. We found no significant differences between summed scores by screen type. Analyses stratified by screening type found only one significant difference; those receiving Screen B were likely report more occurrences of hitting by a partner than those in other conditions. We will also report the results of the questionnaire to women regarding their experiences in being screened by screen type.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this presentation, participants should be able to

1. Identify the important components of a youth-specific screening tool in the view of the young women being screened.
2. Understand the challenges to public health and clinical health providers in screening for IPV in young women.
3. Understand whether different contextual approaches to screening young women for IPV make a difference in outcome or in the preferences of both provider and patient.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Violence Prevention in Families and Community

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA