Prevalence and Risk Factors for Domestic Violence against Pregnant Women

Domestic violence during pregnancy can seriously threaten the physical and mental health of mother and baby and finally is a serious threat to public health. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for domestic violence against pregnant women in an Iranian setting.
Material & In this cross-sectional survey, 300 pregnant women with the inclusion criteria were selected with Convenience sampling in Urban Health Center in Minoodasht,Golestan,Iran. In the present study we used the demographic questionnaire and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). The researcher completed the questionnaires through structured interviews. Finally, the data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 18 and descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square, Exact Fisher and t-test).
The prevalence of domestic violence was 46%. The most common type of violence was psychological (35%), physical (7/8%) and sexual (2/3 %) respectively. There was no significant relationship between age, education and occupation of women and their spouse with domestic violence. Unwanted pregnancy was significantly associated with the incidence of violence against women (p Because of negative effects of domestic violence during pregnancy, it is recommended that all health centers routinely screen the domestic violence especially in unwanted pregnancies.