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. 2025 Aug 29;15(1):31810.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-16884-8.

Domestic violence and outcome of pregnancy among pregnant females at Alzahraa University Hospital

Abeer A Almowafy  1 , Mona Alsayed Elkafrawy  2 , Doaa Sadek Ahmed  3 , Samar Samy Ismail  3 , Mahmoud Abdelwahed Alboghdady  4 , Nawal Hamdy Ahmed Keshta  2
Affiliations

Domestic violence and outcome of pregnancy among pregnant females at Alzahraa University Hospital

Abeer A Almowafy et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Violence against women is a distressing issue, particularly when the victim is pregnant. However, the pregnancy outcomes of many pregnant women who were subjected to violence are complicated. The present research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of domestic violence against pregnant women and its consequences on the outcome of pregnancy. A prospective cohort study with an initial cross-sectional component was conducted among 500 pregnant women randomly selected from the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinics et al.-Zahraa University Hospital during antenatal visits. The study employed a structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data and information on the types and frequency of violence. These participants were evaluated till delivery to assess the consequences of violence on pregnancy outcomes. The mean age of the women was 30.4 ± 7.2 years, with an average duration of marriage of 6.1 ± 4.3 years. Violence was detected among 58.8% of the studied pregnant women, and psychological violence was the most frequent type (44.2%). Those who experienced violence were more likely to have a longer duration of marriage (mean = 6.14 ± 4.3 years vs. 5.12 ± 4.4; p = 0.001), lower educational levels (p = 0.04 for wives; p = 0.03 for husbands), be housewives (p = 0.004), and their husbands were more often unemployed (p = 0.04). and live in households with insufficient income (p = 0.02). A statistically significant increase in maternal complications was observed among women who experienced violence, including higher rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, threatened abortion, vaginal bleeding, delayed prenatal care, preterm rupture of membranes, and cesarean delivery compared to those who did not experience violence (p < 0.05). Additionally, fetuses of women who experienced violence had significantly higher rates of preterm birth, fetal distress during labor, and low birth weight (p < 0.05) compared to those of non-exposed women. More than half of pregnant women experience domestic violence, predominantly psychological, negatively affecting maternal and fetal outcomes. These findings highlight the need for routine screening during antenatal visits and targeted interventions addressing socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

Keywords: Pregnancy outcomes; Pregnant women; Violence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study was performed following the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. The study protocol was approved by the research ethical committee at the Faculty of Medicine (for girls), Al-Azhar University. Informed consent was obtained from all women who agreed to participate in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Nested ecological model of IPV.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Prevalence of Violence among the Pregnant Group.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Types of Violence among the Pregnant Group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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