Prenatal Predictors of Intimate Partner Abuse

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of physical abuse and to identify predictors of abuse in a sample of pregnant women in Alabama. A prospective, correlational design was used. Participants were drawn from four unrelated public and private prenatal clinics in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The sample consisted of pregnant women between 20 and 34 years of age who had no high-risk health conditions and who initiated prenatal care during the 1st trimester. Four hundred thirty-nine ethnically diverse women completed interviews during the 1st and 3rd trimesters and had available birth outcomes. Physical abuse during pregnancy was measured by a modified version of the Abuse Assessment Screen. Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions yielded significant associations between individual predictors and physical abuse during pregnancy. The findings showed that 10.9% of the sample experienced physical abuse during the current pregnancy and 62% reported the intimate partner or former intimate partner to be the perpetrator. The best predictive model included stressful life events, depression, lack of faith in God or a higher power, and lack of contraceptive use.