title: Impact of psychological violence on pregnancy outcomes in a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Violence during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to explore the link between psychological violence (PSV) and pregnancy outcomes in terms of maternal and birth for the first time in women attending Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) primary health centers (PHCs) in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort of 1461 pregnant women exposed and non-exposed to PSV was followed until the pregnancy outcome. Modified Intimate Partner Violence, demographic and pregnancy outcomes questionnaires were administered face-to-face. Logistic regression analysis was down to estimate independent effects of the PSV on pregnancy outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than half of the women (69.9%) reported PSV during pregnancy. The differences between the two groups in reference with pregnancy complication did not reach statistical significance. Premature rapture of membrane was the only outcome that was independently associated with PSV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSV in pregnancy was frequent in our study. Although the lack of adverse pregnancy outcome following PSV was observed in this study, intervention is required to prevent the effect of violence on women and child health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari.
authors.forename: Farideh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rezaie Abhari
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Behavioral Research Center, Addiction Institute, Department of Statistics, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yazdani Charati
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Samad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rouhani
keywords: Outcomes; Pregnancy; Psychological; Violence