PREVALENCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT-WOMEN

Objectives.-To summarize the methods and findings of studies examining the prevalence of violence against pregnant women and to synthesize t hese findings by comparing study characteristics for studies with simi lar and dissimilar results, Data Sources.-MEDLINE, POPLINE, Psychologi cal Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched for all articles pertaining to violence during pregnancy for the period 19 63 through August 1995. Study Selection.-Thirteen studies were selecte d on the basis of specific criteria: a sample with initially unknown v iolence status; a clear statement of research question(s), with focus on measuring the prevalence of violence; descriptions of the sample, d ata source, and data collection methods, and data from the United Stat es or another developed country, Data Extraction.-Relevant data were e xtracted to compare studies by study description, methods, and results , Data Synthesis.-Evidence from the studies we reviewed indicates that the prevalence of violence during pregnancy ranges from 0.9% to 20.1% . Measures of violence, populations sampled, and study methods varied considerably across studies, and these factors may affect prevalence e stimates, Studies that asked about violence more than once during deta iled in-person interviews or asked later in pregnancy (during the thir d trimester) reported higher prevalence rates (7.4%-20.1%). The lowest estimate was reported by women who attended a private clinic and resp onded to a self-administered questionnaire provided to them by a perso n who was not a health care provider. Conclusions.-Violence may be a m ore common problem for pregnant women than some conditions for which t hey are routinely screened and evaluated, Future research that more ac curately measures physical violence during pregnancy would contribute to more effective design and implementation of prevention and interven tion strategies.