Intimate partner violence (IPV) and preeclampsia among Peruvian women.
OBJECTIVE
Mounting evidence supports the view that intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important cause of maternal mortality. Some, but not all, prior studies suggest that IPV is associated with increased risks of maternal medical conditions such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy which are leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide. We assessed the relation between IPV and risk of preeclampsia among Peruvian women.


METHODS
We conducted a case-control study at two large hospitals in Lima, Peru. Preeclampsia cases were 339 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and proteinuria (i.e., preeclampsia). Controls were 337 normotensive women. Information concerning women's exposure to physical and emotional violence during pregnancy was collected during in-person interviews conducted after delivery and while patients were in hospital. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from logistic regression models.


RESULTS
The prevalence of IPV was 43.1% among cases and 24.3% among controls. Compared with those reporting never exposure to IPV during pregnancy, women reporting any exposure had a 2.4-fold increased risk of preeclampsia (OR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.7-3.3). The association was strengthened slightly after adjusting for maternal age, parity and pre-pregnancy adiposity (OR=2.7; 95% CI: 1.9-3.9). Emotional abuse in the absence of physical violence was associated with a 3.2-fold (95% CI: 2.1-4.9) increased risk of preeclampsia. Emotional and physical abuse during pregnancy was associated with a 1.9-fold increased risk of preeclampsia (95% CI: 1.1-3.5).


CONCLUSIONS
IPV among pregnant women is common and is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. These data support recent calls for coordinated global health efforts to prevent violence against women.
Sanchez
Sixto E
SE
Health Direction V Lima City, Jr. Antonio Raymondi 220, La Victoria, Lima, Peru.
Qiu
Chunfang
C
Perales
Maria T
MT
Lam
Nelly
N
Garcia
Pedro
P
Williams
Michelle A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors