304352
Racial Differences in Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy
Background: More than half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. Unintended pregnancies are associated with poor health outcomes including premature birth, low birth weight, and induced abortions. Women of low socio-demographic status and racial/ethnic groups are more likely to report an unintended pregnancy. Evidence suggests an association between IPV and unintended pregnancy; however, differences between racial and ethnic groups are not well studied. This study explores the association between IPV and unintended pregnancy across racial/ethnic strata using a nationally representative sample.
Methods: Data from the national 2004-2008 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System was analyzed (N=199,446). Women were categorized for IPV experience 12 months before pregnancy (abuse, no abuse). The outcome, pregnancy intention, was dichotomized as intended or unintended. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted and adjusted odds ratios were generated using subpopulation analysis stratified by race/ethnicity.
Results: Women experiencing physical abuse 12 months before pregnancy were more likely to report having unintended pregnancies. The odds of unintended pregnancy were more robust among minorities, namely Hispanic women after adjusting for SES, healthcare access, and reproductive history. Among Hispanic women, abused women had a near two-fold increase in unintended pregnancy compared to non-abused women after adjusting for age, education, household income, insurance, WIC Participation, parity, and termination of previous pregnancies.
Conclusion: Hispanic women with history of IPV were at increased risk of unintended pregnancies. IPV may indicate increased risk for unintended pregnancy through partner-mediated reproductive control. Health care professionals should be encouraged to screen and council women with IPV.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyPublic health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Explain the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and unintended pregnancy.
Assess differences of IPV-related unintended pregnancy across race/ethnicity.
Describe individuals and community-level characteristics that may affect the association of intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy by Race/Ethnicity.
Keyword(s): Maternal and Child Health, Domestic Violence
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As an MPH student in Epidemiology at Virginia Commonwealth University School Of Medicine, I am currently involved in researches relating intimate partner violence as one of the contributing factors to postpartum outcome in women. Previously, as a general physician and National Health Convener for YWCA of Bangladesh, I was engaged in multiple studies involving intimate partner violence causing adverse health outcome in women in Bangladesh. I have attended many international educational training and seminars.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.