DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE IN AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT POPULATION

Objective.-To determine the incidence, 1-year prevalence, and cumulati ve prevalence of domestic violence (DV) among female emergency departm ent (ED) patients. Design.-Descriptive written survey. Setting.-Two te aching EDs, two hospital walk-in clinics, and one private hospital ED in Denver, Colo. Participants.-Of 833 women presenting during 30 rando mly selected 4-hour time blocks, 648 (78%) agreed to participate. Most respondents were young (median age, 34 years) and unemployed (62%); h alf (49%) had annual household incomes less than $10 000. Main Outcome Measures.-Domestic violence was defined as an assault, threat, or int imidation by a male partner. Acute DV (incidence) and past DV exposure (1-year prevalence and cumulative prevalence) were determined. Result s.-The incidence of acute DV among the 418 women with a current male p artner was 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.7% to 15.2%). Only 1 1 (23%) of these 47 women subjected to acute DV presented for care bec ause of trauma, and only six (13%) either told staff about DV or were asked about DV by ED professionals. Among 230 women without current pa rtners, 13 (5.6%) reported an episode of DV within the previous 30 day s. For the entire sample, the cumulative lifetime prevalence of DV exp osure was 54.2% (95% CI, 50.2% to 58.1%). Women exposed to acute or pr ior DV were more likely than unexposed women to have made suicide atte mpts (26% vs 8%; P<.001) and to report excessive ethanol use (24% vs 1 3%; P=.001). Conclusions.-The incidence of acute DV is not as common a mong women visiting an ED as previously reported, although the cumulat ive prevalence of DV is strikingly high. Women who have experienced DV are seldom identified by ED professionals.