RESEARCH PAPER
Characteristics of women who have suffered from violence during pregnancy
 
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1
Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
 
2
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Obstetric-Gynaecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
 
3
Chair and Department of Psychiatry, I Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2013-01-14
 
 
Acceptance date: 2013-09-10
 
 
Online publication date: 2013-09-16
 
 
Publication date: 2020-04-08
 
 
Corresponding author
Marta Makara-Studzińska   

Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodźki 15, 20-093 Lublin, Poland. Tel./fax: +48 81 718 6592.
 
 
Pol. Ann. Med. 2013;20(2):106-109
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The problem of violence is an important issue for public health. The literature reports that the incidence of violence during the pregnancy is about 1%–25%. Forms of violence that are most often used against pregnant women include physical, psychological and sexual violence.

Aim:
To determine characteristics of women experiencing violence during pregnancy.

Material and methods:
One hundred and fourteen women, residents of the province of Lublin, were examined for characteristics of pregnant women experiencing violence. The method used in the study was diagnostic sounding. The technique used was a questionnaire developed by the authors. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. The results were statistically analyzed.

Results and discussion:
The analysis showed that 59.7% of the women studied experienced violence during pregnancy. The most common form of violence against the pregnant women was psychological violence (72.5%) and the rarest one was economic violence (26.7%). These percentage differences reached statistical significance (p = .02). Moreover, the statistically significant correlation was found between experiencing violence and age (p = .008), level of education (p = .0001), marital status (p = .03) and the occupational activity of examined women (p = .0001).

Conclusions:
Psychological and physical violence are the most common forms of violence used against the pregnant women. Unmarried, young women with a low level of education are the group of women who most often experience violence and due to this fact they should be taken into specialist care.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.
 
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