This paper reports on a study that targeted intimate partner violence victims, who were pregnant, in a hospital in Hong Kong; the authors provide details on their research sampling, methodology, and outcomes, as well as implications for treatment practices.
The authors’ objective for this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an empowerment intervention in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) and improving health status. They report on a randomized controlled trial at an antenatal clinic in a public hospital in Hong Kong. They also describe their sample population and research methodology, which included the randomization of 110 pregnant Chinese women with a history of domestic abuse; the women in the experimental group received empowerment training specially designed for Chinese abused pregnant women while the control group women received standard care for abused women. The authors collected data at study entry and six weeks postnatal. Results following the training indicated that the experimental group had significantly higher physical functioning and had significantly improved role limitation due to physical problems and emotional problems. They also reported less psychological (but not sexual) abuse, minor (but not severe) physical violence and had significantly lower postnatal depression scores. However, women in the experimental group also reported more bodily pain. The authors conclude that an empowerment intervention specially designed for Chinese abused pregnant women was effective in reducing IPV and improving the health status of the women. Publisher Abstract Provided