The Association between Intimate Partner Violence, Depression and Influenza-like Illness Experienced by Pregnant Women in Australia
Authors
Rees, Susan J
Wells, Ruth
Nadar, Nawal
Moussa, Batool
Hassoun, Fatima
Yousif, Mariam
Khalil, Batoul
Krishna, Yalini
Nancarrow, Heather
Silove, Derrick
Publication Date
2021-10-20Journal Title
Women
ISSN
0957-4042
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
1
Issue
4
Pages
192-203
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Rees, S. J., Wells, R., Mohsin, M., Nadar, N., Moussa, B., Hassoun, F., Yousif, M., et al. (2021). The Association between Intimate Partner Violence, Depression and Influenza-like Illness Experienced by Pregnant Women in Australia. Women, 1 (4), 192-203. https://doi.org/10.3390/women1040017
Abstract
<jats:p>Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health issue, including during pregnancy where it poses a serious risk to the woman’s health. Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) also causes significant morbidity for women during pregnancy. It may be possible that ILI in pregnancy is associated with IPV, and that depression and trauma history play a role in the connection. 524 Australia-born women and 578 refugee-background women participated in the study. Baseline participants were randomly recruited and interviewed from antenatal clinics between January 2015 and March 2016, and they were reinterviewed six months post-partum. Bivariate and path analysis were used to assess links between IPV, depression and ILI. One in 10 women (10%; 111 out of 1102) reported ILI during their pregnancy period and this rate was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for women born in conflict-affected countries (13%; 76 out of 578) as compared to Australian-born women (7%; 35 out of 524). In both groups, Time 1 traumatic events, IPV and depression symptoms were significantly associated with ILI at Time 2. A significant association between IPV at Time 1 and ILI at Time 2 was fully mediated by depression symptoms at Time 1 (Beta = 0.36 p < 0.001). A significant direct path was shown from depression symptoms to ILI (Beta = 0.26, p < 0.001). Regardless of migration history, pregnant women who have experienced IPV and depression are more likely to report influenza-like symptoms in pregnancy. This may suggest that trauma and depression negatively affect immunity, although it could also indicate a connection between depressive symptoms and physical experiences of ILI.</jats:p>
Keywords
intimate partner violence, influenza-like illness, depression, trauma, pregnancy
Sponsorship
National Health and Medical Research Council (APP 1164736, RG 180528)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/women1040017
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/329724
Rights
Licence:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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