Assessing for abuse: self-report versus nurse interview

Estimates are that 1.8 million women are physically abused each year by their husbands. To prevent abuse and promote physical safety, routine assessment is essential. Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas added four self-reported abuse assessment questions to their standard intake form completed by all initial and annual-visit clients. After one month of self-report by 477 women, the prevalence of physical abuse was 7.3%. To compare self-report to nurse interview assessment, the same four questions were asked of 300 women coming to the same clinic for initial or annual visits. The reported prevalence of abuse after a nurse interview was 29.3%.