PREVALENCE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN AND EFFECTS ON MATERNAL AND BIRTH OUTCOMES

Violence and the threat of violence against pregnant women are main barriers to women’sempowerment and equal participation in society. when stress and violence increase in developingsocieties, women’s safety in the home, workplace and community is often seriously affected. todetermine the prevalence of physical abuse in pregnant women and to assess association betweenphysical violence during pregnancy and maternal complications and birth outcomes, we used clinicbaseddata from a sample of 403 women who delivered live born infants during the summer of 2002 inour hospital. data of physical violence against women’s during pregnancy and 3 months before thatwere based on questionnaire and interview. outcomes data including antenatal hospitalization, laborand delivery complications were obtained from the records. prevalence of physical violence duringpregnancy was reported as 10.7%. prevalence of experience of physical abuse 3 months beforepregnancy was 11.9%. women who experienced physical violence compared with those not reportingabuse were more likely to be smoker and hospitalized before delivery for maternal complications suchas preterm labor, kidney infections, premature rupture of membranes and vaginal bleeding with pain.there was a significant association between physical violence and low birth weight and mother’seducation. physical violence during pregnancy is common and is associated with maternalcomplications and adverse birth outcomes. we suggest including methods to determine frequency ofviolence during pregnancy and assessment of violence in pregnancy by a screening program integratedin prenatal care.