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Assessing for abuse: self-report versus nurse interview.
J McFarlane1, K Christoffel, L Bateman
1College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston 77030.
Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.)
|December 1, 1991
Summary
Routine domestic abuse screening is vital. Self-reporting physical abuse prevalence was 7.3%, while nurse interviews revealed a 29.3% prevalence in women visiting clinics.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Women's Health
- Domestic Violence Research
Background:
- An estimated 1.8 million women experience physical abuse annually from their husbands.
- Routine assessment is crucial for preventing abuse and ensuring women's physical safety.
- Healthcare settings can play a role in identifying and addressing domestic violence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of physical abuse among women attending clinic visits.
- To compare the effectiveness of self-reported abuse assessment versus nurse interview assessment.
Main Methods:
- Four self-reported abuse assessment questions were added to intake forms for 477 women.
- The same four questions were administered via nurse interview for 300 women.
- Both groups comprised women attending initial or annual visits at a Planned Parenthood clinic.
Main Results:
- Self-reported abuse prevalence was 7.3% after one month of data collection.
- Nurse interview assessment revealed a significantly higher reported prevalence of abuse at 29.3%.
- Discrepancies highlight potential underreporting with self-assessment methods.
Conclusions:
- Nurse-led interviews appear more effective in identifying physical abuse compared to self-report.
- Routine screening in healthcare settings is essential for uncovering domestic violence.
- Further research is needed to optimize abuse assessment tools for clinical practice.