Risk identification of abused women participating in a women, infants, and children program

Demographic characteristics, social and health risk factors, and responses to open-ended questions regarding health and abuse experiences were analyzed in a study of women participants in a Women, Infants, and Children supplemental food program at a mid-western county health department. Of the 400 respondents, 124 had experienced physical abuse according to the Partner Abuse Scale: Physical (PASPH) for determining physical abuse (Hudson, 1990). Quantitative and qualitative procedures were applied to the data. A trimmed model indicated that the best predictors of PASPH score were self-perceived abuse and number of medical/health conditions. Implications for service and program development include strategies for ongoing assessment, intervention, and evaluation to detect and to address physical and nonphysical assault. Epidemiological investigation and follow-up are recommended for health conditions discovered as prevalent in this population.