[Intra-family violence: health workers' practice in São Joaquim do Monte, Pernambuco, Brazil]

The objective of the study was to verify the association between assistance, referral and reporting of Intra-family Violence/ IFV against pregnant adolescents, and the socio-demographic characteristics of 84 professionals of the Family Health Program/FHP in the agreste region of Pernambuco. The study is part of a multicenter, cross sectional research, carried out from October 2008 to April 2009. A structured questionnaire related to the various types of violence (psychological, physical or sexual) and validated for Brazil was used. Sociodemographic variables and professional experience in assisting cases of IFV were added to the instrument: identification of types, care, referral, and notification. The analysis of results showed a large number of professionals that had never identified a case of violence (72%). Among the 23 who provided care to cases of violence, there was a majority of psychological (86.9%), followed by physical (60.8%), and sexual (43.5%) cases. Only eight professionals (34.8%) referred the adolescents to the Tutelary Council, Police Office and/or Public Prosecutor's Office. The analysis of association with care and reporting found older age (p = 0.018; IC(95) 1.31-17.1) and having children (p = 0.039; IC(95) 0.04-17.1) as statistically significant. On the other hand, a borderline association was found with work in an urban area and higher education. There was no association with sex, marriage status and years of work variables. The authors concluded that, despite the 'invisibleness' of IFV, the analysis of actions developed at the FHP represented an approximation to this complex and multifaceted phenomenon and the possibility of critical thinking on its different ways of social understanding.