Friday, 14 January 2005 - 12:00 PM

This presentation is part of: Poster Session I

Correlates of Safety at Home Among Hispanic Immigrants

Purpose and Method: Safety at home and domestic violence have been identified as a major public health problem for pregnant and non-pregnant women alike. It is a particularly troublesome problem for Hispanic women in rural areas because even when services are available, language barriers and immigration status may present barriers (perceived or real) to needed services. A sample of 30 pregnant Hispanic women in a rural area was surveyed regarding pregnancy identity and factors associated with prenatal care, communication with both family and providers, and indications of safety and domestic violence.

Results: Forty seven percent reported some type of domestic violence. Specifically, women reported experiencing the following: 1) feeling unsafe in their home (10%), 2) been hit or threatened by partner when they argue (10%), 3) threatened by partner (10%), 4) been hit, pushed, or kicked by partner (10%), or 5) been forced to have sex with partner or other family member (10%), or felt that their partner or other family member controlled their behavior too much (40%). Of the 30 women surveyed, 19 (63%) reported that their pregnancy was unplanned. Bivariate analysis found correlations between safety at home and communication with family (r= .401, df=28, p<.05), safety and communication with partner (r= .428, df=28, p<.05), and feeling safe and actual incidence of being physically hit, pushed or kicked (r= .603, df=28, p<.001).

Implications: Reviewed are social work policy and practice implications of these findings as the rates of public health problems inferred from this sample suggest the need for more culturally sensitive interventions. The human service needs of Hispanic women in rural areas are many and varied, and they are complicated by additional concerns about access to services and immigrant status. The need for better programs to address family planning, domestic violence, and safety issues is discussed.

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