Sexual violence and its association with health self-perception among pregnant women

• Autor(a) principal: Aquino, Nicole Moraes Rêgo De
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Sun, Sue Yazaki, Oliveira, Eleonora Menicucci de, Martins, Marilia da Gloria, Silva, Juliana de Fátima da, Mattar, Rosiane
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Saúde Pública
• DOI: 10.1590/S0034-89102009005000068
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.usp.br/rsp/article/view/32720
• topic: Gestantes^i1^spsicolo; Mulheres Maltratadas; Percepção; Violência Sexual; Violência contra a Mulher; Qualidade de Vida; Fatores Socioeconômicos; Estudos Transversais; Pregnant Women^i2^spsychol; Battered Women; Perception; Sexual Violence; Violence Against Women; Quality of Life; Socioeconomic Factors; Cross-Sectional Studies

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of sexual violence history among pregnant women and its association with the self-perception of health status. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including a total of 179 pregnant women older than 14 years old at gestation week 14 to 28 attending public health services in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2006 and 2007. Data collection instruments included: questionnaire on sexual violence; questionnaire on sociodemographic data; and an assessment of health-related quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12®). Age, skin color, education, occupational and marital status, and self-perception of physical and mental health were compared between women with and without a lifetime history of sexual violence. Sexual violence was categorized as penetrative and non-penetrative sex. RESULTS: Among all women interviewed, the prevalence of sexual violence was 39.1%, of which 20% were of penetrative type by known perpetrators. In 57% of cases, the first episode of violence was before the age of 14. There were no sociodemographic differences between women with and without history of sexual violence. Mean scores of self-perception of physical health among women with history of sexual violence were lower (42.2; SD= 8.3) compared to those without history of sexual violence (51.0; SD= 7.5) (p