IV. view from the states: surveillance of intimate partner violenceHealth status and health care use of Massachusetts women reporting partner abuse
Section snippets
Background
An estimated 0.9% to 13.3% of women in the United States are physically abused each year by an intimate partner.1, 2, 3, 4 In addition to injuries and deaths resulting from physical violence, women abused by their intimate partners are more likely than other women to experience a number of emotional and physical health problems.5, 6, 7, 8 Most studies examining the health concerns associated with intimate partner abuse (IPA) have been based on clinic9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or health
Methods
The present analyses are based on data collected as part of the Massachusetts BRFSS from 1 January to 31 December 1998. The BRFSS is a continuous, random-digit-dial, telephone survey of adults aged ≥18, conducted by state departments of health in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey methodology uses stratified random sampling with probability of selection related to the number of adults and telephone lines in the household and, in Massachusetts,
Results
Of the 2043 women aged 18 to 59 who responded to the 1998 Massachusetts BRFSS, a total of 6.3% (n=115) reported some form of IPA during the past year: 3.7% reported being frightened by their partners’ anger or threats, 3.6% reported being controlled by their partners, and 2.7% reported physical violence by their partners during the past 12 months (Table 1). The overlap among the three constructs of fear, control, and physical violence is presented in Figure 1. The frequency of refusals or
Conclusions
In this large population-based survey, we found that Massachusetts women aged 18 to 59 reporting IPA in the past year are at increased risk for a number of serious emotional and physical health concerns, including depression, anxiety, sleep problems, suicidal ideation, disabilities, and concerns regarding HIV infection. These findings are consistent with studies based on clinic or health plan populations. High rates of smoking (50.8%) and unwanted pregnancy (39.2%) among women reporting IPA are
Acknowledgements
These analyses were conducted as part of the Women Abuse Tracking in Clinics and Hospitals (WATCH) Project at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (grant #U17/CCU115221-02-1).
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