Pregnancy Intendedness and Physical Abuse Around the Time of Pregnancy: Findings From the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 1996-1997

• NCJ Number: 204506
• Journal: Maternal and Child Health Journal Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2000 Pages: 85-92
• Author(s): Mary M. Goodwin; Julie A. Gazmararian; Christopher H. Johnson; Brenda Colley Gilbert; Linda E. Saltzman
• Editor(s): Milton Kotelchuck Ph.D.
• Date Published: June 2000
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the potential association between physical abuse and unintended pregnancy in a population-based sample of women who have recently given birth.

Abstract

Women in their peak child-bearing years are at higher risk for experiencing violence by intimate partners. These findings have prompted researchers to examine the possible association between violence and pregnancy. This study examined the association between unintended pregnancy and violence during the 12 months before conception and during the pregnancy, while controlling for selected individual characteristics and pregnancy-related factors. Data on physical violence and pregnancy intendedness came from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The study analyzed population-based data from 14 States that collected PRAMS data in 1996, 1997, or both. The analysis dataset included 39,348 women who delivered a live-born infant within the previous 2-6 months. The analysis found a relatively strong association between unintended pregnancy and abuse. However, stratified prevalence and risk ratios showed that maternal characteristics modified the association between unintended pregnancy and abuse. Prenatal care can provide an important point of contact where women can be screened for violence and referred to services that can assist them. Tables and references