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The Role of Structural and Interpersonal Violence in the Lives of Women

This is a cross-journal thematic series running in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth and BMC Women’s Health. The aim of the article collection is to build a strong understanding of structural and interpersonal violence against women, to explore its prevalence, incidence and possible risk factors as well as to identify policy responses to address structural inequities that make women vulnerable to various forms of violence.

Editor: Nawsheen Boodhun

Guest Editor: Stefanie Montesanti

Image by Flickr user Michelle Carl (CC By 2.0)

Image by Flickr user Michelle Carl (CC By 2.0)

  1. Spousal violence against women is prevalent in India (29%). Studies from various countries have shown that few women exposed to intimate partner violence or spousal violence seek help, especially in low-income...

    Authors: Malin Leonardsson and Miguel San Sebastian
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2017 17:99
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  2. We aimed to investigate the impact of a referral-based intervention in a prospective cohort of women disclosing intimate partner violence (IPV) on the prevalence of violence, and associated outcomes psychosoci...

    Authors: An-Sofie Van Parys, Ellen Deschepper, Kristien Roelens, Marleen Temmerman and Hans Verstraelen
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2017 17:346
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  3. Violence against women is an international public health concern and a violation of women’s rights. Domestic violence can first occur, and increase in frequency and severity, during and after pregnancy. Health...

    Authors: Mary McCauley, Jennifer Head, Jaki Lambert, Shamsa Zafar and Nynke van den Broek
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2017 17:318
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  4. Addressing impaired foetal growth is recognized as a public health priority. Certain risk factors for this condition, such as poor nutritional status at birth, have been found to be highly correlated with pove...

    Authors: Alexandre Archanjo Ferraro, Luis Augusto Rohde, Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk, Adriana Argeu, Euripides Constantino Miguel, Sandra Josefina Ferraz Ellero Grisi and Bacy Fleitlich-Bilyk
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2017 17:257
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  5. Many women experience psychological trauma during birth. A traumatic birth can impact on postnatal mental health and family relationships. It is important to understand how interpersonal factors influence wome...

    Authors: Rachel Reed, Rachael Sharman and Christian Inglis
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2017 17:21
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  6. Domestic violence shares many features with chronic disease, including ongoing physical and mental health problems and eroded self-efficacy. Given the challenges around help-seeking for women experiencing dome...

    Authors: Laura Tarzia, Carl May and Kelsey Hegarty
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2016 16:73
    Content type: Debate Published on:

  7. Domestic violence during pregnancy is a public health problem which violates human rights and causes an adverse effect on both maternal and fetal health. The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalen...

    Authors: Monika Shrestha, Sumina Shrestha and Binjwala Shrestha
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:360
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  8. Depressive symptoms during pregnancy can have multiple adverse effects on perinatal outcomes, including maternal morbidity and mortality. The potential impact of antenatal depressive symptoms on maternal healt...

    Authors: Tesera Bitew, Charlotte Hanlon, Eskinder Kebede, Girmay Medhin and Abebaw Fekadu
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:301
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  9. Domestic violence during pregnancy is not only a severe public health issue that jeopardizes maternal and foetal health but also violates human rights. The aim was to explore the prevalence and incidence of domes...

    Authors: Hafrún Finnbogadóttir, Anna-Karin Dykes and Christine Wann-Hansson
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:228
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  10. Pregnant Indigenous women suffer a disproportionate burden of risk and adverse outcomes relative to non-Indigenous women. Although there has been a call for improved prenatal care, examples are scarce. Therefo...

    Authors: Richard T. Oster, Grant Bruno, Margaret Montour, Matilda Roasting, Rick Lightning, Patricia Rain, Bonny Graham, Maria J. Mayan, Ellen L. Toth and Rhonda C. Bell
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:216
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  11. A negative birth experience has been shown to have a significant impact on the well-being and future choices of mothers. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of, and identify the risk facto...

    Authors: Andrei Smarandache, Theresa H. M. Kim, Yvonne Bohr and Hala Tamim
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:114
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  13. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an urgent public health priority. It is a neglected issue in women’s health, especially in urban slums in Nepal and globally. This study was designed to better understand the...

    Authors: Keshab Deuba, Anustha Mainali, Helle M. Alvesson and Deepak K. Karki
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2016 16:11
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  14. Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences for the physical, psychological, and reproductive and sexual health of women. However, the factors that make women to justify domestic violence against ...

    Authors: David Teye Doku and Kwaku Oppong Asante
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2015 15:120
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  15. The objective of this paper is to explore whether IPV 12 months before and/or during pregnancy is associated with poor psychosocial health.

    Authors: An-Sofie Van Parys, Ellen Deschepper, Kristien Michielsen, Anna Galle, Kristien Roelens, Marleen Temmerman and Hans Verstraelen
    Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2015 15:278
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  16. Research on interpersonal violence towards women has commonly focused on individual or proximate-level determinants associated with violent acts ignores the roles of larger structural systems that shape interp...

    Authors: Stephanie Rose Montesanti and Wilfreda E. Thurston
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2015 15:100
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  17. Exposure to interpersonal violence, namely verbal and physical abuse, is a highly prevalent threat to women’s health and well-being. Among older, post-menopausal women, several researchers have characterized a...

    Authors: M. Brad Cannell, Julie C. Weitlauf, Lorena Garcia, Elena M. Andresen, Karen L. Margolis and Todd M. Manini
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2015 15:98
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  18. In Rwanda, women who self-reported in household surveys ever experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) increased from 34 % in 2005 to 56 % in 2010. This coincided with a new constitution and majority-female...

    Authors: Dana R. Thomson, Assiatou B. Bah, Wilson G. Rubanzana and Leon Mutesa
    Citation: BMC Women's Health 2015 15:96
    Content type: Research article Published on: