Correlates of in-law conflict and intimate partner violence against Chinese pregnant women in Hong Kong
Chan, K.L.; Tiwari, A.; Fong, D.Y.T.; Leung, W.C.; Brownridge, D.A.; Ho, P.C.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence 24(1): 97-110
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0886-2605 PMID: 18378806 DOI: 10.1177/0886260508315780Document Number: 203715
This study examines correlates of in-law conflict with intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women in a cohort of Chinese pregnant women who visited antenatal clinics in Hong Kong. This was a territory-wide, cross-sectional study of 3,245 pregnant women recruited from seven hospitals in Hong Kong. Participants were invited to complete the Chinese Abuse Assessment Screen and a demographic questionnaire. About 9% of the pregnant women reported having been abused by their partners in the preceding year. In-law conflict was the characteristic most significantly associated with preceding-year abuse against pregnant women, after controlling for covariates. Findings underscore the need to obtain information on in-law conflict as a risk factor for IPV. In-law conflict should be included in the assessment of risk for IPV. For the prevention of IPV, family-based intervention is needed to work with victims as well as in-laws.