Journal article

Identifying intimate partner violence when screening for health and lifestyle issues among women attending general practice

KL Hegarty, L O'Doherty, J Astbury, J Gunn

Australian Journal of Primary Health | CSIRO PUBLISHING | Published : 2012

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a common but under-recognised issue for women attending primary care. There is a lack of studies looking at women's comfort to discuss and openness to getting help for health issues, including fear of a partner, in primary care. Female patients (aged 16-50 years) attending 55 general practitioners (GPs) in Victoria, Australia were mailed a brief survey that screened for health and lifestyle issues, comfort to discuss these issues and intention to get help in primary care. Needing physical activity and smoking were the issues women were most comfortable to discuss; followed by difficulty controlling what and/or how much is eaten, feeling down, depressed, hopeless ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

The WEAVE study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (454532). The funding body had no role in study design; the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the manuscript; or the decision to submit this manuscript for publication. We acknowledge the 55 dedicated GPs and their practice staff who contributed to this research and the many women across Victoria whose voices make it possible. We thank the project team, including the investigators and researchers: Janita Clewett, Eleanor Tan, Patty Chondros, David Pierce, Angela Taft, Stephanie Brown, Lisa Gold, Ann Taket, Gene Feder and Sandra Eldridge.