Violence against women and consequent
health problems: a register-based study.
Helweg-Larsen K,
Kruse M.
National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. khl@dike.dk
AIMS: This study set out to examine whether women victimized by domestic
violence in a given year subsequently have more health problems measured
by amount of hospital contacts due to disease than non-victimized women.
METHODS: A case control study was carried out, based on data in the
Danish National Patient Register, which covers all hospital contacts,
identified by the unique citizen number. Three age groups were included:
15-19, 20-29, and 30-49 years. Cases were women with any hospital
contact as a result of intentional injuries, defined as domestic
violence, in 1995, and controls were women with all other reasons for
hospital contact in 1995. The Nordic Classification of External Causes
of Injuries classified reason for contact, place of occurrence, and
mechanism of injury. Domestic violence was defined as intentional injury
by blunt force and occurring in a residential area. The rate of
subsequent hospital contacts because of any disease, induced abortions,
gynaecological diseases, and mental illness among cases and controls in
1996-98 was compared. RESULTS: 1,815 women victimized by domestic
violence and 388,366 controls were identified. In the entire period, the
victims of violence presented significantly more health problems than
the controls, as measured by hospital contacts due to any disease. The
rate of contacts due to induced abortions, gynaecological diseases, and
mental illness was significantly higher among the victims in all three
age groups in the first year following the identified violence. In the
entire period, victims of violence aged 20-49 presented a significantly
higher rate of contacts due to mental illness, and victims aged 20-29
years a higher rate of induced abortions. CONCLUSIONS:
Registration practice of all hospital contacts in Denmark facilitates
nationally representative analyses of associations between violence and
health problems. The observed differences among women victimized by
domestic violence and controls point to violence against women as a
major public health problem. Proper registration of hospital contacts
due to intentional injury may both guarantee adequate follow-up of the
individual victim, and serve as a useful tool in the monitoring of
general violence prevention.Domestic violence: Vold i hjemmet
victimized: offer for
subsequently: efterfølgende
measure: måle
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Problem statement: Have women
victimized by domestic violence in a given year subsequently more health
problems measured by amount of hospital contacts due to disease than
non-victimized women?
Approach:
A case control study was carried out, based on data in the Danish
National Patient Register, which covers all hospital contacts,
identified by the unique citizen number. Three age groups were included:
15-19, 20-29, and 30-49 years. Cases were women with any hospital
contact as a result of intentional injuries, defined as domestic
violence, in 1995, and controls were women with all other reasons for
hospital contact in 1995, etc......
Results:
1,815 women victimized by domestic violence and 388,366 controls were
identified. In the entire period, the victims of violence presented
significantly more health problems than the controls, as measured by
hospital contacts due to any disease
Conclusions:
Look at left column
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