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Comparison of three instruments for assessing ongoing intimate partner violence
Amy A Ernst1, Steve J Weiss, Elaine Cham
1Medical Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA. aernst56@aol.com
Summary
The Ongoing Abuse Screen (OAS) may help identify ongoing intimate partner violence (IPV). The OAS differs from the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) and a single question, potentially offering better specificity for ongoing abuse.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Active injury surveillance requires methods to detect ongoing intimate partner violence (IPV).
- The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) is validated for IPV within the past year, but its efficacy for ongoing IPV is uncertain.
- The Ongoing Abuse Screen (OAS) was developed to specifically assess current, continuous IPV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if the OAS measures a distinct construct compared to the AAS and a single question about current IPV.
- To assess the validity of the OAS for identifying ongoing intimate partner violence.
Main Methods:
- Patients in the Emergency Department (ED) completed a survey including the OAS, AAS, and a direct question on present IPV.
- Kappa statistic was used to compare agreement between the OAS, AAS, and the single IPV question.
- Convenience sampling of ED shifts was employed.
Main Results:
- Out of 488 surveys, the AAS detected IPV in 59%, OAS in 16%, and the single question in 3%.
- Kappa values indicated fair agreement between OAS and AAS (0.28) and between OAS and the single question (0.27).
- AAS showed poor agreement with the single question (0.05).
Conclusions:
- The OAS shows potential as a tool for assessing ongoing IPV.
- The OAS yields different prevalence rates than the AAS, suggesting it may be more specific to ongoing abuse.
- The OAS appears more sensitive than a single question for detecting current intimate partner violence.