title: Conditions and Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence among Taiwanese Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue among women. IPV victims usually seek help from hospitals, and emergency nurses are the frontline staff with whom the victims come into contact first. This study examined the conditions and patterns of IPV in southern Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  From designated hospitals in Kaohsiung under the Department of Health Injury Assessment Clinic, data were collected on 497 women regarding their injury assessment for IPV reported to the Kaohsiung City Government.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Taiwanese survivors were older compared to immigrant survivors. Taiwanese survivors also had higher education levels compared to immigrant survivors. Taiwanese survivors had higher employment rate than immigrant survivors did. The time between IPV and medical help seeking was longer for divorced than married women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results can facilitate understanding of the conditions and patterns of IPV in Taiwan, increase the awareness of nurses, especially the emergency nurses for the prevention of IPV, and increase professional competency for the provision of appropriate healthcare services to survivors of IPV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fang-Hsin
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: hhwang@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Hung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Joh-Jong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Dayeh University, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018585:Battered Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Taiwan; battered women; violence