title: Factors associated with physical violence against pregnant women from São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil: an approach using structural equation modeling.
abstract: The factors associated with physical violence against pregnant women were analyzed in a cross-sectional study of 1,446 pregnant women from a prenatal cohort who were interviewed in 2010 and 2011 in São Luís, Brazil. In the initial model, socioeconomic status occupied the most distal position, determining sociodemographic factors, social support and the behavioral factors that ultimately determined physical violence, which was investigated as a latent variable. Structural equation modeling was used in the analysis. Pregnant women who were from more disadvantaged backgrounds (p = 0.027), did not reside with intimate partners (p = 0.005), had low social support (p < 0.001) and had a high number of lifetime intimate partners (p = 0.001) reported more episodes of physical violence. Low social support was the primary mediator of the effect of socioeconomic status on physical violence. The effect of marital status was mainly mediated by a high number of lifetime intimate partners.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Danielle Cristina Silva
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina III, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marizélia Rodrigues Costa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rosângela Fernandes Lucena
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Camila Maia
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: João Victor Fonseca
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Laysa Andrade
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ludmilla Emilia Martins
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto E
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antônio Augusto Moura da
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D000066550:Physical Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires