Examining Intimate Partner Violence and Health Factors among Rural Appalachian Pregnant Women

• In Event: 591 - Regular Session. Sex and Violence

Abstract

Among pregnant women, intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a critical risk factor in adverse health outcomes for the mother and newborn alike (Devries et. al., 2010). This pilot study examined IPV and health for rural Appalachian pregnant women, a particularly vulnerable high-risk and high-needs group. Participants were 77 rural, Appalachian pregnant women entering a hospital-based inpatient detoxification unit primarily for Opiate Dependence. Study participants gave informed consent to a face-to-face interview and secondary data abstraction from hospital medical records. IPV was measured via questions from the National Violence Against Women Survey (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998), the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, and Sugarman 1996), and the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory (Tolman 1989; 1999). The majority of the sample reported lifetime psychological (89.6%) and physical (64.9%) violence. A little over three-fourths (75.3%) experienced IPV in the past year. Further, over one-third (39.0%) experienced stalking, physical, or sexual violence in the past year. Most participants (71.4%) experienced psychological abuse in the past year. IPV experiences, in conjunction with pervasive substance use, mental and physical health problems, and poverty present in rural Appalachia, culminate in a particularly high-risk and high-needs group of pregnant women. IPV requires a multifaceted approach, particularly when working with rural Appalachian women who live in closed communities with pervasive norms which allow the continued perpetuation of violence against women (Websdale, 1997). These women present unique opportunities and challenges for prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Authors

• Lisa M Shannon, Morehead State University

• Shondrah Tarrezz Nash, Morehead State University

• Afton Jackson, Morehead State University