Violence during pregnancy in an Eastern city of Turkiye

Abstract

Aim: This study has been planned to research the ideas of pregnant women subjected to violence and violence against the women. Background: Violence is an important society health problem which increases gradually and that can be easily seen in every part of the human life. World Health Organization described the violence the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal development, or deprivation. It is being determined that the violence is being mostly directed in family condition and against to the woman in the report of WHO, which has been published in 2002. Methods: Kars is a city settled in the East and which has different types of social and cultural characteristics and supported by rooted foundations. Because of its history going back to 9000 B.C and there has been many civilizations lived on it, and the signs are stil stand up to the present time. There have been 153 health houses throughout Kars, there are 4 health offices in Kars and 36 health offices in its towns. The 1st and 4th numbered health offices reflects the demographic characteristics of Kars and the native people like Azerbaijan Turks , Kurds and Qarapapaq lives around. The sample of the descriptive type study includes 255 pregnant women who lives in the centre of Kars and have been followed by the health offices. According to the records obtained from the 1st and 4th health offices, these women have been followed and home visits were made between March and April, 2007. The pregnant women in 1st or 2nd trimester whom were accepted to participate in the study have been taken to the study. There has been used a questionnaire including 18 questions applied to the pregnant women by the researchers. SPSS 11.5 program has been used for statistical analysis. The socio-demographic data of the individuals which have been taken into the study have been investigated by frequency analysis. Results: 255 pregnant women created the sample of the research. Most of the women have been graduated from the primary school (n= 94, 36.9%), whom are married (n= 252, 98.8 %), and have simple type of family (n= 163, 63.9 %) and aged between 15 to 25 (n= 166, 65.1 %). Most of them have never subjected to the violence (193, 75.7%), the ones whom viewed violence were subjected to physical violence (n= 47, 18.4 %) and the violence against them has been continued during these pregnancies (n= 29, 11.4 %) The women expresses the reason of the violence by economical insufficiency (n= 97, 38.0%). In Turkey, the most remarkable way of violence against the women expressed by “deprived from the education” (n= 130, 51.0%). They want to work and development in finding job easily as to prevent the violence against the women (n= 138, 54.1%). Conclusion: Nurses have an important role in determining the familial violence, supporting the women in high risk group and care them. The undertakings which are being made by the nurses may increase the effects of violence on woman and her family in short or long terms.