Police-reported intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the risk of antenatal hospitalization.
OBJECTIVE
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem and the abuse of women during pregnancy is of particular concern. Few studies have addressed the relationship between IPV and antenatal hospitalization. This study utilized a novel approach to examine the impact of IPV during pregnancy on antenatal hospitalization not associated with delivery.


METHODS
This retrospective cohort study included Seattle women residents 16-49 years of age. Exposed subjects were women with a police-reported IPV incident during pregnancy in the years 1995 through 1998 and who subsequently had a singleton live birth or fetal death. The unexposed group was composed of randomly selected residents with a singleton birth or fetal death and without a police-reported IPV incident during the study period. Linked hospital discharge files and birth records were utilized to determine study outcomes. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).


RESULTS
Women reporting any IPV during pregnancy were twice as likely as unexposed women to experience an antenatal hospitalization not associated with delivery (aAOR 2.39, CI 1.77, 3.24). Women with IPV were more likely to have been hospitalized with a substance abuse-related diagnosis (aOR 2.70, CI 1.52, 4.78) or a mental health-related diagnosis (aOR 1.93, CI 0.96, 3.91). Physical IPV was more strongly associated with antenatal hospitalization than nonphysical IPV or IPV overall.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that women hospitalized during pregnancy, particularly those with substance abuse and mental health-related conditions, may be at high risk for concurrent IPV.
Lipsky
Sherry
S
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. sherry.lipsky@utsouthwestern.edu
Holt
Victoria L
VL
Easterling
Thomas R
TR
Critchlow
Cathy W
CW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D008875:Middle Aged; D016495:Police; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology