TY - JOUR PY - 2001// TI - The physical, sexual and emotional violence history of middle-aged women: a community-based prevalence study JO - Medical journal of Australia A1 - Mazza, D. A1 - Dennerstein, L. A1 - Garamszegi, C. V. A1 - Dudley, E. C. SP - 199 EP - 201 VL - 175 IS - 4 N2 - OBJECTIVES: To determine current and lifetime rates of the experience of partner abuse and sexual violence in a community-based sample of middle-aged women and compare these to figures obtained in a general practice setting. DESIGN AND METHODS: This research was part of the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project (MWMHP), an observational, longitudinal, population-based study of 438 Australian-born women conducted over nine years. In 1996, during the sixth year of the study, we asked the MWMHP participants to complete a self-administered "violence questionnaire", incorporating a modified Conflict Tactics Scale and questions on sexual abuse experienced during childhood and adult life. RESULTS: Of the 395 women remaining in the sixth year of follow-up of the MWMHP, 362 (92%) completed the questionnaire. Overall, 28.5% (n = 101) of the women had experienced some form of domestic violence (physical, sexual or emotional) during their lifetime; 5.5% (n = 15) of women had experienced severe physical abuse in the past year at the hands of a partner; and 11.8% (n = 42) of the women had experienced rape or attempted rape between the age of 16 and the time of our survey. Regarding abuse in childhood, 8.9% (n = 32) of women had experienced physical abuse, 42.3% (n = 152) had experienced non-contact sexual abuse, and 35.7% (n = 128) contact sexual abuse. Compared with the general-practice-based study, rates of childhood physical abuse and penetrative sexual abuse were similar, but rates of less intrusive child sexual abuse were significantly higher in our study. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors in all areas of medicine who are dealing with middle-aged women need to be aware of the levels of violence sustained by women throughout their lives. Such experiences may have a substantial impact on women's physical and mental wellbeing.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0025-729X UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -