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

Abstract

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.