Partner violence and health: results from the first national study on violence against women in Norway.
BACKGROUND
Violence against women has long been considered a hidden health burden. Questions about violence have not been included in health surveys; hence, little is known about prevalence and the consequences for health in the general population. No national study has been conducted in Norway.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of partner violence in Norway and the relationship between victimization and somatic health and depression and anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms.


METHODS
Data collection was performed by Statistics Norway. Among a random sample of women aged 20-55 years, 2,407 women returned the questionnaire (63.3%), of whom 2,143 were ever-partnered. Selected demographic characteristics were obtained from registers.


RESULTS
In total, 26.8% of 2,143 ever-partnered women had experienced any violence by their partner during their lifetime, and 5.5% in the year before the study. Low educational level, being unmarried, separated or divorced, currently being unemployed, receiving social security benefits and having no children were significantly associated with reporting partner violence. Exposure to partner violence was associated with poor health, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms, gynaecological complaints, injuries, and disability, and remained so after controlling for age, education, unemployment, relationship break-up and low economic status.


CONCLUSIONS
Partner violence is common and was associated with a range of somatic and mental health problems. Thus, violence against women by their partners is an important public health concern.
Department of Public Health and General Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Astrid Irene
AI
Nerøien
Berit
B
Schei
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011902:Rape / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology