Intimate partner violence and posttraumatic stress disorder among high-risk women: does pregnancy matter?

Caroline C Stampfel1, Derek A Chapman, Andrea E Alvarez

  • 1Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, VA 23219, USA. caroline.stampfel@vdh.virginia.gov

Violence Against Women
|March 13, 2010
PubMed

Interviews from 655 women participating in the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (CWHRS) were used to assess prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Black women had the highest rate of IPV overall and among pregnant women, and had decreased odds of PTSD compared to Black nonpregnant women. Hispanic pregnant women, however, had decreased odds of IPV and PTSD compared to Hispanic nonpregnant women. Disparities in IPV by race/ ethnicity and pregnancy status complicate the study of IPV and PTSD and have implications for the public health community.

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