Severity of Spousal and Intimate Partner Abuse to Pregnant Hispanic Women

Abstract

Abuse to pregnant women can result in complications to maternal and child health. This study assessed the severity of intimate male partner abuse to Hispanic pregnant women receiving prenatal care at an urban public health department. The mean age of the 329 pregnant, abused Hispanic women was 24 years. The women had an average of eight years of education, annual incomes of less than $10,000, and most spoke only Spanish. In all, 30 percent of the women had been threatened with death, 18 percent had been threatened with a knife or gun, 80 percent had been shaken or roughly handled, 71 percent pushed or shoved, and 64 percent slapped on the face and head. Pregnant, abused Hispanic women experience abuse of sufficient severity to pose a risk to maternal and child health. Prenatal care provides a window of opportunity for routine abuse assessment and counseling for low-income, Hispanic pregnant women.