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BMC Women's Health
Published in: BMC Women's Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Intimate partner violence associated with low quality of life - a cross-sectional study

Authors: Kjersti Alsaker, Bente E. Moen, Tone Morken, Valborg Baste

Published in: BMC Women's Health | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

Quality of life among abused women in Norway in 2006 was found to be significantly low compared to women at the same age in general. The aim of this study was to examine how quality of life is associated with experience of psychological and physical violence intimate partner violence among abused women seeking help after domestic partner abuse comparted to quality of life in a random sample of women in Norway.

Methods

A cross-sectional study in a random sample of 1500 women (response rate 36%, n = 469) in Norway were performed. In addition, 191 women who sought help after domestic partner abuse were invited (44%, n = 84). The experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and health-related quality of life were measured in both samples. The participants were divided into: “Women seeking help” after domestic partner abuse (n = 84); “Random sample, abused women” (n = 127); and “Random sample, not abused women” (n = 342).

Results

The experience of psychological and physical violence was significantly different between the groups (p <  0.0001). The domains in SF-12 were significantly below (p <  0.001) the norm for the female population in Norway in all dimensions among the abused women in the random population sample, and even lower among the women seeking help because of IPV.

Conclusion

Intimate partner violence is clearly associated with low quality of life. The pattern found in this study is similar to the pattern found in the previous Norwegian study among abused women seeking help.
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Metadata
Title
Intimate partner violence associated with low quality of life - a cross-sectional study
Authors
Kjersti Alsaker
Bente E. Moen
Tone Morken
Valborg Baste
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Women's Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6874
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-018-0638-5

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