Stability and Change in Types of Intimate Partner Violence Across Pre-pregnancy, Pregnancy, and the Postpartum Period

Abstract

Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted after childbirth with 2,709 female residents of Iowa to examine experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) across pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum. IPV was most prevalent during the postpartum period, followed by pre-pregnancy, and pregnancy. Violence in one period increased the likelihood of violence in subsequent periods. Latent Transition Analysis revealed three classes of women: those who experienced No IPV, Predominantly Sexual IPV, or Physical IPV Only. Change in IPV type across time was associated with whether women had intended, and whether their partners wanted, the pregnancy and with marital status. Findings suggest a continuity of violence for childbearing women who experience IPV prior to conception and have numerous implications for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.

Keywords: Intimate partner violence; latent transition analysis; maternal health; perinatal risk; postpartum; pregnancy.

Figure 1.

Stability of each latent status across time. Individuals in the No IPV class remained stable. Individuals in the Predominantly Sexual IPV class were most likely to change their status from pregnancy to the postpartum period, whereas those in the Physical IPV Only class were most likely to change their status from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy.

Figure 2.

Probability of change in each latent status across pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum. Solid lines (—) represent stability within each latent status, while the other lines represent the possibility of change for each latent status: Round dots (·······) represent the probability of change for No IPV status, dash lines (– – –) for Predominantly Sexual IPV status, and dot dash lines (— · — ) for Physical IPV Only status.