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Perception of intimate partner violence among women seeking care in the primary healthcare network in São Paulo state, Brazil
Author(s) -
Mathias AnaKarina R.A.,
Bedone Aloisio,
Osis MariaJosé D.,
Fernandes Arlete M.S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2012.12.019
Subject(s) - domestic violence , medicine , marital status , logistic regression , sexual violence , perception , ethnic group , demography , cross sectional study , health care , descriptive statistics , poison control , injury prevention , psychology , nursing , environmental health , population , pathology , neuroscience , sociology , anthropology , economics , economic growth , statistics , mathematics
Objective To evaluate the prevalence and perception of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in the primary healthcare network in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods In a cross‐sectional descriptive study conducted between August 2008 and May 2009 in São Paulo state, Brazil, sociodemographic variables (age, education, ethnicity, paid employment, religion, marital status, economic stratum), experiences of IPV (physical, sexual, psychological), and women's perception of violence were compared among 2379 women attending primary healthcare units. Statistical analysis was performed via χ 2 test, Student t test, and multiple logistic regression (odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals) to determine interrelations between the type and perception of violence. Results The overall prevalence of IPV was 55.7%, whereas that of psychological, physical, and sexual violence was 53.8%, 32.2%, and 12.4%, respectively; however, only 48.7% of women who experienced IPV had perceived this violence. The perception of IPV was highest for sexual violence (76.3%), followed by physical (64.7%) and psychological (49.7%) violence. Conclusion The results showed that, among women within the primary healthcare network in the state of São Paulo, a high percentage had experienced some form of IPV during their lifetime but the rate of self‐perception of IPV was low.