Introduction Studies have showed that domestic violence does not stop during pregnancy(Norton et al. 1995), and may be even aggravated or initiated(Webster, Sweett and Stolz 1994). The adverse consequences of violence during pregnancy on birth outcomes have been well documented(Newberger et al. 1992; Petersen et al. 1997). These studies, however, predominately examined the effect of domestic vi...

BACKGROUND Screening for violence during pregnancy is one of the strategies for the prevention of abuse against women. Since violence is difficult to measure, it is necessary to validate questionnaires that can provide a good measure of the phenomenon. The present study analyzed the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Violence Against Women (WHO VAW) instrument for the meas...

PURPOSE By 2010, an estimated 18.4 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa will be orphaned by AIDS. Research in South Africa shows that AIDS orphanhood is independently associated with heightened levels of psychological problems. This study is the first to explore the mediating effects of stigma and other factors operating on a community level, on associations between AIDS orphanhood and mental...

BACKGROUND We wanted to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening children in primary health care settings for abuse and neglect resulting from family violence by examining the evidence on the performance of screening instruments and the effectiveness of interventions. METHODS We searched for relevant studies in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and refe...

Introduction Poor pregnancy outcomes are frequent in developing countries. The commonly studied outcomes are low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth and intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR), both of which are related to LBW. Pregnancy outcomes are influenced by several maternal factors including malaria nutrition, psychological stress and socio-demographic factors. Apart from nutritional and p...

BACKGROUND Domestic violence - physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated against women by one or more family members - is highly prevalent in India. However, relatively little research has been conducted on interventions with the potential to mitigate domestic violence and its adverse health consequences, and few resources exist to guide safety planning and monitoring in the context ...

OBJECTIVE This study examined associations between profiles of physical and psychological violence in childhood from parents and two dimensions of mental health in adulthood (negative affect and psychological well-being). Profiles were distinguished by the types of violence retrospectively self-reported (only physical, only psychological, or both psychological and physical violence), as well as...

BACKGROUND Violence during childhood may affect short and long-term educational factors. There is scant literature on younger children from resource poor settings. METHODS This study assessed child violence experiences (harsh punishment and exposure to domestic or community violence) and school enrolment, progress and attendance in children attending community-based organisations in South Afr...