Violence against women in different stages of the life cycle in Brazil: an exploratory study

Prevalence of violence against women living in rural areas and associated factors: a cross-sectional study based on the 2019 National Health Survey

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of violence against women living in rural areas, explore associated factors, and characterize cases of violence according to perpetrator, place of occurrence, and frequency. Based on data from the 2019 National Health Survey, using Poisson's regression we calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios for violence committed during the last 12 months against women living in rural areas across Brazil, focusing on the following variables: sociodemographic characteristics, income, social support, and self-reported health status. The prevalence of psychological, physical, and sexual violence was 18%, 4.4%, and 1.5%, respectively. Perpetrators were mainly people known to the victim and violence was mainly committed at home and repeated over time. Prevalence was highest among young women (24.2%), single and divorced women (20% each), women who had complete elementary school till not complete higher education (22% each), women with very poor (34%) and poor (30%) self-perceived health status; and women with a mental health problem (30%). After adjustment, the following variables were retained in the model: women aged 30-39 years and 40-49 years; married women; women with very poor, poor, and fair perceived health; and women diagnosed with a mental health problem.

Fatores associados ao estado nutricional de crianças menores de cinco anos da Paraíba, Brasil

Resumo Objetivou-se analisar se o estado nutricional de crianças menores de cinco anos de idade está relacionado às condições biológicas de suas mães, ao acesso a serviços de saúde, ao benefício de programas sociais e às condições socioeconômicas. Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado no contexto da Estratégia Saúde da Família, em sete municípios do interior do estado da Paraíba. A metodologia incluiu o diagnóstico do déficit de estatura e do excesso de peso (sobrepeso e obesidade) das crianças, cujos determinantes foram analisados por meio de árvore de decisão. Como resultado, foram avaliadas 469 crianças, das quais 7,9% apresentaram déficit de estatura e 12,8% excesso de peso. Encontrou-se associação desses desfechos com o estado nutricional materno. A baixa estatura também teve como exposições relevantes a idade da criança inferior a dois anos (p = 0,018) e a insegurança alimentar e nutricional moderada/grave (p = 0,008). Para o excesso de peso, não ser beneficiário do Programa Bolsa Família (p = 0,049) e a pior situação socioeconômica (p = 0,006) também representaram fatores associados ao desfecho. Como conclusão do presente estudo, podemos afirmar que existe uma associação entre o estado nutricional materno e o da criança.

ANALYSIS OF REPORTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN IN BRAZIL IN THE PERIOD FROM 2011 TO 2018

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze reports of violence made by pregnant women in Brazil between 2011 and 2018. Method: quantitative research of the analytical and retrospective type. Data from pregnant women aged between 11 and 49 years from a database containing information from the Information System for Reporting interpersonal/self-harm from 2011 to 2018 were analyzed. The analysis involved the description of the profile of the pregnant woman and the probable author and the characteristics of the events. Results: in 2017, five times more cases of violence against pregnant women were reported compared to 2011. Violence occurred more in people aged between 20 and 29 years (37.0%), black/brown (54.4%), with incomplete primary education (34.2%) and single (48.1%). The most frequent violence was physical (61.9%), followed by psychological (31.2%) and sexual (27.0%). Body strength and beatings were the means of aggression most used by the perpetrator of violence (54.0%). The partner or ex-partner (50.5%) was the aggressor most described by the pregnant women. Conclusion: to describe the characteristics of pregnant women in Brazil who suffer violence and their possible aggressor proposes an advance in the construction of a network of care for women victims of more structured violence, based on public policies aimed at ensuring qualified care by professionals who perform prenatal care in primary health care units.

Prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence against adult women in Brazil: National Survey of Health, 2019

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence against adult women in Brazil.

METHODS

Quantitative cross-sectional epidemiological study using the database of the National Survey of Health 2019. The prevalence in the last 12 months and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios of intimate partner violence were calculated, stratified by sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Intimate partner violence was reported by 7.60% of Brazilian women aged from 18 to 59 years, with higher prevalence among younger women (8.96%), black women (9.05%), those with lower education level (8.55%) and low income (8.68%). After adjusted analysis, the age groups of 18-24 years old (PRadj: 1.41) and 25-39 years old (PRadj: 1.42) and income lower than one minimum wage (PRadj: 1.55) remained associated with intimate partner violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Intimate partner violence was associated with younger and poorest women. This result points to the need to develop intersectoral policies, especially those aimed at reducing social inequalities and at the coping with intimate partner violence among adult women.

Analysis of Repeated Violence Against Older Adults in a Brazilian State

Objective: To identify notified cases of repeated violence against older adults and its association with the characteristics of the victims, of the aggressor, and the aggression. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data recorded in the Information System for Notifiable Health Problems on interpersonal repeated violence perpetrated against older adults between 2011 and 2018 in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The data were analyzed employing Poisson multiple regression with robust variance. Results: The frequency of repeated violence was 50.1 % (95 % CI: 47.7-52.6). Being 80 years old or more, presenting disabilities or disorders, and having suffered violence by partners and/or children were associated with this condition in both genders. In aged men, violence was more frequently perpetrated by two or more aggressors and during the day, whereas aged women were more frequently assaulted in urban areas. Conclusion: The high frequency of repeated violence and the associations with the characteristics studied reflect the need for care to older adults with disabilities or disorders and the possible signs of burden in family caregivers that may result in situations of violence. Actions aimed at early detection and adequate assistance to the victims and to the aggressors are important to avoid the chronicity of the condition.

A Qualitative Study of the Health-Related Perceptions of Married Iranian Women Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence

INTRODUCTION

Violence against women occurs all over the world; it is a phenomenon that is considered an invasion of human rights. The most common form of this phenomenon is domestic violence (DV).

AIM

The purpose of this study was to explore the health-related perceptions of married women in Iran who have experienced DV.

METHOD

This qualitative study was carried out using conventional content analysis method. In total, a purposive sample of 27 women who had been subjected to violence by their spouses agreed to participate in this study. Individual, in-depth, and semistructured interviews were conducted.

FINDINGS

Three main categories emerged from the data: (a) perceptions related to physical health (including non-sex-organ injuries and sex organ injuries), (b) perceptions related to psychological health (including fear, concern, and the creation of challenges), and (c) perceptions related to sociocultural health (specifically social health and cultural health).

CONCLUSION

In Iran, DV threatens women's health and is influenced by personal, familial, social, and cultural factors. Nurses should consider various aspects of physical, psychological, and sociocultural health when caring for women who have experienced DV. Social and cultural-based interventions are needed to address negative attitudes, stigma, and false beliefs that sanction DV in Iran.

Violence against women in life: study among Primary Care users

This article aims to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence among primary care users. Cross-sectional study with women aged 20 to 59 years. Physical, sexual and psychological violence was screened by the World Health Organization instrument. Poisson regression was used for crude and adjusted analysis. Nine hundred ninety-one women participated in the study. The prevalence of violence throughout the lifespan was: psychological 57.6% (95%CI 54.6-60.7); physical 39.3% (95%CI 36.2-42.3) and sexual 18.0% (95%CI 15.7-20.5). Women with up to eight years of schooling, divorced or separated, whose mothers suffered intimate partner violence, who reported drug use and experienced sexual violence in childhood showed a higher prevalence of the three types of violence. Religion was associated with psychological and sexual violence and the use of cigarettes to physical and psychological violence. Participants with lower household income had a higher prevalence of physical violence. A high prevalence of intimate partner violence was identified among users. Worse socioeconomic conditions, risk behaviors and a history of assault are associated with greater occurrence of this problem.

Neglect and psychological abuse of older adults in a Brazilian state: analysis of reports between 2011 and 2018

Abstract Objective: to identify the prevalence of neglect and psychological abuse of older adults and their associations with the characteristics of the victim, the aggressor and the type of aggression in Espírito Santo, Brazil. Method: a cross-sectional study, with data on reports of neglect and psychological abuse of older adults registered in the Espírito Santo Reports of Disease and Harm Information System between 2011-2018. Analyzes were conducted according to the type of abuse and the independent variables were composed of the characteristics of the victim, the aggressor and the type of aggression. For multivariate analysis, Poisson Regression with robust variance was used. Results: during the study period, 296 cases of neglect (18,1%; CI95%: 16,31-20,04) and 193 cases of psychological abuse (11,8%; CI95%: 10,32-13,46) were reported. Neglect was more prevalent against older adults aged 80 years and over, who were black, had a partner, and were disabled, and was often committed by the victim’s son(s) or daughter(s), in their home, in urban areas, in an unmotivated and chronic manner. Psychological abuse was associated with women, perpetrated by men, after alcohol consumption, motivated by intolerance, in the urban area and carried out in a chronic manner. Conclusion: the characteristics of the victim, aggressor and aggression were associated with the occurrence of negligence and psychological abuse differently for each type of abuse. Such abuse is often committed in a veiled manner, and thus goes underreported. It is believed that with the diffusion of knowledge and the carrying out of new studies will contribute to the confrontation, monitoring and prevention of this disease.

Epidemiological and spatial characteristics of interpersonal physical violence in a Brazilian city: A comparative study of violent injury hotspots in familial versus non-familial settings, 2012-2014

This study explores both epidemiological and spatial characteristics of domestic and community interpersonal violence. We evaluated three years of violent trauma data in the medium-sized city of Campina Grande in North-Eastern Brazil. 3559 medical and police records were analysed and 2563 cases were included to identify socioeconomic and geographic patterns. The associations between sociodemographic, temporal, and incident characteristics and domestic violence were evaluated using logistic regression. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), we mapped victims' household addresses to identify spatial patterns. We observed a higher incidence of domestic violence among female, divorced, or co-habitant persons when the violent event was perpetrated by males. There was only a minor chance of occurrence of domestic violence involving firearms. 8 out of 10 victims of domestic violence were women and the female/male ratio was 3.3 times greater than that of community violence (violence not occurring in the home). Unmarried couples were twice as likely to have a victim in the family unit (OR = 2.03), compared to married couples. Seven geographical hotspots were identified. The greatest density of hotspots was found in the East side of the study area and was spatially coincident with the lowest average family income. Aggressor sex, marital status, and mechanism of injury were most associated with domestic violence, and low-income neighbourhoods were coincident with both domestic and non-domestic violence hotspots. These results provide further evidence that economic poverty may play a significant role in interpersonal, and particularly domestic violence.