Prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse among pregnant women in six European countries.

• Published in: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
• Main Authors: Lukasse, Mirjam, Schroll, Anne-Mette, Ryding, Elsa Lena, Campbell, Jacquelyn, Karro, Helle, Kristjansdottir, Hildur, Laanpere, Made, Steingrimsdottir, Thora, Tabor, Ann, Temmerman, Marleen, Van Parys, An-Sofie, Wangel, Anne-Marie, Schei, Berit
• Other Authors: Norwegian Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Publ Hlth & Gen Practice, N-7034 Trondheim, Norway, Oslo & Akershus Univ, Coll Appl Sci, Fac Hlth Sci, Dept Hlth Nutr & Management, Oslo, Norway, Rigshosp, Copenhagen Univ Hosp, Ctr Fetal Med & Pregnancy, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark, Karolinska Inst, Dept Womens & Childrens Hlth, Div Obstet & Gynecol, Stockholm, Sweden, Johns Hopkins Univ, Sch Nursing, Baltimore, MD USA, Univ Tartu, Tartu Univ Hosp Womens Clin, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, EE-50090 Tartu, Estonia, Hlth Directorate, Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Iceland, Dept Midwifery, Fac Nursing, Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Tartu, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, Tartu Sexual Hlth Clin, EE-50090 Tartu, Estonia, Landspitali Univ Hosp, Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Copenhagen, Fac Hlth Sci, Copenhagen, Denmark, Univ Ghent, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Int Ctr Reprod Hlth, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium, Malmo Univ, Fac Hlth & Soc, Malmo, Sweden, St Olavs Univ Hosp, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, Trondheim, Norway
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2014
• Subjects: Meðganga; Heimilisofbeldi; Ofbeldi gegn börnum; Ofbeldi gegn konum; Eiginmenn; Mæðraskoðun; Kynferðisafbrot; Adult; Belgium/epidemiology; Child; Child Abuse/statistics & numerical data*; Cohort Studies; Estonia/epidemiology; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Prenatal Care; Prevalence; Questionnaires; Scandinavia; Sex Offenses/statistics & numerical data*; Spouse Abuse/statistics & numerical data*; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/325524; https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.12392

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page The primary objective was to investigate the prevalence of a history of abuse among women attending routine antenatal care in six northern European countries. Second, we explored current suffering from reported abuse. A prospective cohort study. Routine antenatal care in Belgium, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, and Sweden between March 2008 and August 2010. A total of 7174 pregnant women. A questionnaire including a validated instrument measuring emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Proportion of women reporting emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Severe current suffering defined as a Visual Analogue Scale score of ≥6. An overall lifetime prevalence of any abuse was reported by 34.8% of the pregnant women. The ranges across the six countries of lifetime prevalence were 9.7-30.8% for physical abuse, 16.2-27.7% for emotional abuse, and 8.3-21.1% for sexual abuse. Few women reported current sexual abuse, 0.4% compared with 2.2% current physical abuse and 2.7% current emotional abuse. Current severe suffering was reported by 6.8% of the women who reported physical abuse, 9.8% of those who reported sexual abuse and 13.5% for emotional abuse. A high proportion of pregnant women attending routine antenatal care report a history of abuse. About one in ten of them experiences severe current suffering from the reported abuse. In particular, these women might benefit from being identified in the antenatal care setting and being offered specialized care. Daphne II Programme, European Commission for Freedom, Security, and Justice, Brussels, Belgium JLS/2006/DAP-1/242/W30-CE-0120887/00-87