Partner violence and health: results from the first national study on violence against women in Norway

Abstract

Background: Violence against women has long been considered a hidden health burden. Questions about violence have not been included in health surveys; hence, little is known about prevalence and the consequences for health in the general population. No national study has been conducted in Norway.

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of partner violence in Norway and the relationship between victimization and somatic health and depression and anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Methods: Data collection was performed by Statistics Norway. Among a random sample of women aged 20-55 years, 2,407 women returned the questionnaire (63.3%), of whom 2,143 were ever-partnered. Selected demographic characteristics were obtained from registers.

Results: In total, 26.8% of 2,143 ever-partnered women had experienced any violence by their partner during their lifetime, and 5.5% in the year before the study. Low educational level, being unmarried, separated or divorced, currently being unemployed, receiving social security benefits and having no children were significantly associated with reporting partner violence. Exposure to partner violence was associated with poor health, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms, gynaecological complaints, injuries, and disability, and remained so after controlling for age, education, unemployment, relationship break-up and low economic status.

Conclusions: Partner violence is common and was associated with a range of somatic and mental health problems. Thus, violence against women by their partners is an important public health concern.