Rates and relative risk of hospital admission among women in violent intimate partner relationships.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the history of hospitalization among women involved in violent intimate relationships.


METHODS
In this 1-year retrospective cohort study, female residents of King County, Washington, who were aged 18 to 44 years and who had filed for a protection order were compared with nonabused women in the same age group. Outcome measures included overall and diagnosis-specific hospital admission rates and relative risk of hospitalization associated with abuse.


RESULTS
Women known to be exposed to a violent intimate relationship were significantly more likely to be hospitalized with any diagnosis (age-specific relative risks [RRs] ranging from 1.2 to 2.1), psychiatric diagnoses (RR = 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8, 4.6), injury and poisoning diagnoses (RR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.2, 2.8), digestive system diseases (RR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3, 2.9), and diagnoses of assault (RR = 4.9, 95% CI = 1.1, 22.1) or attempted suicide (RR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.6, 9.2) in the year before filing a protection order.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed an increased relative risk of both overall and diagnosis-specific hospitalizations among abused women. Intimate partner violence has a significant impact on women's health and use of health care.
Kernic
M A
MA
Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. mkernic@u.washington.edu
Wolf
M E
ME
Holt
V L
VL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology