The prevalence and characteristics of battered women in a primary care setting.
Estimates are that 2 million women are battered each year by their male partner. To prevent battering and promote physical safety, Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas added four abuse-assessment questions to the standard intake form for all initial and annual-visit clients. To establish the prevalence of battering, all intake forms completed at four clinics during a one-month period were analyzed. A total of 793 forms were reviewed. The prevalence of physical battering was 8.2 percent. When the characteristics of the battered women were compared with the non-battered, statistically significant differences existed. Information on the health consequences of battering are presented along with suggested assessment questions.
Bullock
L
L
Texas Woman's University College of Nursing, Houston.
McFarlane
J
J
Bateman
L H
LH
Miller
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications