Journal article 141 views 19 downloads
Risk Factors Associated With Primary Care–Reported Domestic Violence for Women Involved in Family Law Care Proceedings: Data Linkage Observational Study
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Laura Cowley,
Karen Broadhurst ,
Rowena Bailey
Journal of Medical Internet Research, Volume: 25, Start page: e42375
Swansea University Authors:
Rhodri Johnson, Lucy Griffiths , Laura Cowley, Rowena Bailey
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PDF | Version of Record
© Rhodri D Johnson, Lucy J Griffiths, Laura E Cowley, Karen Broadhurst, Rowena Bailey. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.2196/42375
Abstract
Background: Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) has a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of children and families but is commonly underreported, with an estimated prevalence of 5.5% in England and Wales in 2020. DVA is more common in groups considered vulnerable, including those involved...
| Published in: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
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| ISSN: | 1438-8871 |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications Inc.
2023
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64757 |
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| Abstract: |
Background: Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) has a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of children and families but is commonly underreported, with an estimated prevalence of 5.5% in England and Wales in 2020. DVA is more common in groups considered vulnerable, including those involved in public law family court proceedings; however, there is a lack of evidence regarding risk factors for DVA among those involved in the family justice system. Objective: This study examines risk factors for DVA within a cohort of mothers involved in public law family court proceedings in Wales and a matched general population comparison group. Methods: We linked family justice data from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass Cymru [Wales]) to demographic and electronic health records within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. We constructed 2 study cohorts: mothers involved in public law family court proceedings (2011-2019) and a general population group of mothers not involved in public law family court proceedings, matched on key demographics (age and deprivation). We used published clinical codes to identify mothers with exposure to DVA documented in their primary care records and who therefore reported DVA to their general practitioner. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine risk factors for primary care–recorded DVA. Results: Mothers involved in public law family court proceedings were 8 times more likely to have had exposure to DVA documented in their primary care records than the general population group (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 8.0, 95% CI 6.6-9.7). Within the cohort of mothers involved in public law family court proceedings, risk factors for DVA with the greatest effect sizes included living in sparsely populated areas (AOR 3.9, 95% CI 2.8-5.5), assault-related emergency department attendances (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.1), and mental health conditions (AOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.2). An 8-fold increased risk of DVA emphasizes increased vulnerabilities for individuals involved in public law family court proceedings. Conclusions: Previously reported DVA risk factors do not necessarily apply to this group of women. The additional risk factors identified in this study could be considered for inclusion in national guidelines. The evidence that living in sparsely populated areas and assault-related emergency department attendances are associated with increased risk of DVA could be used to inform policy and practice interventions targeting prevention as well as tailored support services for those with exposure to DVA. However, further work should also explore other sources of DVA, such as that recorded in secondary health care, family, and criminal justice records, to understand the true scale of the problem. |
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| Keywords: |
Data linkage, domestic violence, domestic abuse, health data, family justice data |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
NFJO |
| Start Page: |
e42375 |