Citation

Travers CS, Devereux PG, Yang W. J. Fam. Violence 2021; 36(4): 399-406.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10896-020-00203-y

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In an effort to understand the relationship between intimate partner physical and psychological violence (IPV) victimization during pregnancy and low birth weight (LBW), we analyzed screening and prevalence of IPV among women with LBW and covariates associated with IPV and LBW. A sample of women with a live birth between April 2014 and May 2016 was drawn randomly from a state registry of birth certificates over sampling for LBW births. Utilizing SAS 9.4, weighted prevalence chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Among 3393 women with singleton births, higher prevalence of a LBW outcome was observed among women <19-years-old (17.94%, 95% CI 12.11, 23.77), Black (11.39%; 95% CI 8.86, 13.93) and Hispanic (14.04%; 95% CI 11.89, 16.18), less than a high school education (13.68%; 95% CI 10.78, 16.58), and women who smoked (13.39%; 95% CI 10.61, 16.18). Only 40.54% of the study population were screened. After adjusting for age, education, race, substance use, insurance coverage, and first-trimester care, the exposure of IPV was not significantly associated with LBW (aOR = 1.26; 95% CI 0.74, 2.14; p = 0.40). Among women with LBW births, more were screened for IPV than were not screened (11.18% vs. 9.00%, 95% CI 9.46, 12.91; p = 0.038). Among women with LBW outcomes, more experienced IPV than did not. When controlling for risk factors, the association between IPV and LBW was not significant indicating other variables may mediate this relationship. Screening for IPV remains lower than recommended by accredited medical associations.

Language: en

Keywords

Domestic violence; Intimate partner violence; Low birth weight; Screening