Physical violence during the 12 months preceding childbirth--Alaska, Maine, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, 1990-1991.

In addition to clearly defined health risks that develop during pregnancy (e.g., toxemia and diabetes), pregnant women are at risk for physical violence inflicted by intimate partners. Although estimates in public and private health-care settings indicate that 4%-17% of women experience violence during pregnancy, population-based prevalence estimates of this problem have not been available. This report uses 1990 and 1991 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) in Alaska, Maine, Oklahoma, and West Virginia to assess the prevalence of physical violence against women during the 12 months preceding childbirth* and its relation to maternal characteristics.