This project aimed to reduce intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common and has a detrimental effect on women's health, and the health of their children.
The overall objective of the project was to reduce IPV against women during pregnancy. Interventions were staff training, develop a screening tool, and a safety promoting video.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed to assess the effectiveness of the video, including women speaking Norwegian, Urdu and Somali. The project documented that a history of violence among pregnant women is common.
The RCT did not detect statistical differences in women’s quality of life between the intervention group and the control group.
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Participants
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More about the project
Intimate partner violence is recognised as a violation of human rights and a public health concern. IPV is common and has a detrimental effect on women's health, and the health of their children.
A pregnancy does not protect women from intimate partner violence. Violence during pregnancy has adverse short and long-term physical and psychosocial health consequences for women and their infants.
Antenatal care is regarded a “window of opportunity” to address intimate partner violence. However, the evidence regarding effective interventions aiming to prevent violence against pregnant women is inconclusive.
Further, the interventions mainly target the majority population and are not tailored to meet the specific needs of a culturally diverse population. Intimate partner violence is stigmatising, and it may lead to social sanctions for women who report it.
The use of mobile health technology may help abused women to disclose violence as it provides confidentiality, privacy, and anonymity.
The overall aim the Safe Pregnancy Study was to develop and evaluate the effect of a culturally sensitive intervention promoting quality of life and the use of safety behaviours to prevent IPV among Norwegian, Pakistani, and Somali women attending routine antenatal care in South-Eastern Norway compared to usual care.
We developed a screening tool and a safety promoting video. An RCT was performed, including 317 women that reported IPV.
We explored midwives’ attitudes towards the screening tool. The project documented that a history of abuse pregnant women is common.
The RCT did not detect statistical differences in women’s quality of life, use of safety behaviours or IPV frequency between the intervention group and the control group.
Midwives experienced that the screening tool could help them communicate about IPV. Further research is needed to overcome barriers that limit inclusion of women from different ethnic backgrounds.
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Partners institutions
- The University of Oslo
- The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- Regional resource centre for violence, traumatic stress (RVTS)
- The Norwegian Midwifery Association
- La Trobe University, Australia
- 19 different maternal and child health centres in South-Eastern Norway
