Violência por parceiro íntimo na gravidez e consequências perinatais

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in the present study, refers to situations of violence in intimate relationships, regardless of the type of relationship perpetuated by the companion during pregnancy. The scale of this phenomenon worldwide and the consequences on women's, fetal and neonatal health are known, which call for intervention policies to minimize the problem. In Portugal, the first steps are taken to systematically screen IPV during pregnancy, to train health teams and to tailor interventions. However, the true extent of this phenomenon during pregnancy is yet to be known, to which this study contributed. A study of the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy in the Central Region of Portugal was carried out, collecting data through a questionnaire applied to 1342 puerperal women admitted to perinatal support hospitals and to differential perinatal support. The IPV was operated through the CTS2 Portuguese version (CTS15) with five dimensions: negotiation, psychological aggression, physical abuse without sequels, sexual coercion and physical abuse with sequels. To characterize women exposed to IPV during pregnancy, demographic, reproductive history, recent pregnancy and perinatal evolution data were collected, allowing the study of the relationship/association between the different variables and IPV. The results showed that IPV is a reality in the Central Region, with intense changes in the pattern of negotiation within the relationship during pregnancy. Among the demographic fators, women's level of education, unemployment, low income and previous history of family violence stood out, with a significant association with the presence of IPV during pregnancy. Regarding reproductive history, the evidence revealed a higher probability of IPV in women with higher number of pregnancies, but lower in women with a history of preterm delivery and previous preterm delivery. The results show the tendency to not planning pregnancy, with a tendency to seek prenatal consultations depending on the nature of the acts of aggression, checking the early search of health surveillance in situations of physical abuse. As for health behaviors in pregnancy, it was possible to find an association between IPV and smoking and alcohol consumption, by the study participants. It was not possible to conclude on perinatal outcomes. The results of the study complement the knowledge available so far in Portugal about IPV in pregnancy, contribute to the improvement of the quality of health care, to guide nursing teaching and to produce new research.

Date of Award	22 Oct 2018
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Margarida Maria Vieira (Supervisor)