NCJ Number
179578
Journal
American Journal of Public Health Volume: 88 Issue: 10 Dated: October 1998 Pages: 1515-1517
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The prevalence of adult domestic assault in a Native American Indian community and the sociodemographic factors associated with domestic violence were studied by means of a survey of adult women in a community on the Navajo reservation located in the southwestern United States.
Abstract
The participants included 341 of the 371 women over age 18 who came for routine ambulatory care to the general medical clinic of an Indian Health Service comprehensive health care facility during the week of September 14, 1992 or to the maternal-child health clinic during the week of October 19, 1992. Demographic information and responses to a domestic violence screening instrument were collected by providers using permissive statements to facilitate reporting of socially sensitive behaviors. One hundred seventy-nine participants reported at least one episode of domestic violence. Fifty-six (16.4 percent) reported violence within the previous 12 months. Age under 40 years and living in a household receiving governmental financial assistance were independently associated with the 1-year prevalence of adult domestic violence. Findings indicated that adult domestic violence is prevalent within this Native American Indian community. Additional research is required to determine further the relationship between domestic assault and socioeconomic status. Tables and 27 references (Author abstract modified)