Medico-Legal Evaluation of Violence Against Pregnant Women Attending Woman’s Health Hospital in Assiut University, Upper Egypt | ||||
| Mansoura Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology | ||||
| Article 5, Volume 21, Issue 2, July 2013, Page 73-96 PDF (66.2 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mjfmct.2013.47681 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| Ghada A. Omran1; Wafaa Abdel-Moneim1; Alsayed M. Farahat2; Hossam T. Salem3 | ||||
| 1Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt | ||||
| 2Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Egypt | ||||
| 3Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Woman’s Health Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Violence against women is the most persistent yet under-recognized human rights violation and is an important worldwide health problem. Pregnant women may be especially susceptible to violence owing to increasing their physical, social, emotional and economic demands during pregnancy with potential negative health impacts on both the mother and her unborn baby. Alongside diagnosis and treatment processes, there are considerable challenges in medico-legal evaluation of domestic violence against pregnant women. The present study was carried out to estimate the frequency and pattern of domestic violence among pregnant women in Assiut governorate and to identify the associated socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors. Meanwhile, investigation of the relationship between pregnant women’s health status and violence exposure was another important goal. A cross-sectional study design using a random sampling method was employed in this study. The sample comprised 296 pregnant women aged 18-45 years old who were attending Woman’s Health Hospital in Assiut University for antenatal care. Data was collected via a structured interview questionnaire including the socio-demographic and personality characteristics of the women and their husbands in addition to family profile. The questionnaire also assessed different forms of domestic violence and its consequences on general and obstetric well-being of the pregnant women. Results revealed that the overall prevalence of domestic violence among the studied group was exceptionally high (91.2%); the commonest form was psychological abuse (81.8 %), followed by sexual abuse (35.5%) and lastly physical abuse (28 %). Logistic regression analysis indicated that younger wives with low educational attainment, non-religious and violent husbands in addition to nuclear and poor families, were all linked to domestic violence against pregnant women. Regarding the health consequences of violence exposure, the urinary and gynecological adverse effects were most common, with a statistically significant difference in each form of violence. In conclusion, the overall prevalence of domestic violence within the pregnant women sample in Upper Egypt was remarkably high and predominantly of psychological form. Several risk factors have been identified. Pregnant women abuse had adverse health effects that urge raising awareness of obstetricians and health workers in prenatal and family planning services about their legal and ethical responsibilities regarding diagnosis of women abuse through sound examination protocols. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Domestic violence; Pregnant women; risk factors; health consequences; Assiut | ||||
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