Factors affecting the compliance of Israeli women with screening for intimate partner violence

Abstract

Violence against women has become a frequent occurrence. In Israel, some 200,000 women are subjected to various types of violence by their intimate partners annually. Routine screening for intimate partner violence is endorsed by the Ministry of Health in Israel; however, screening rates in health-care settings remain problematic. This study aimed to examine whether the model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) succeeds in predicting women's intention to comply with screening for intimate partner violence. A questionnaire based on the literature review and research model was administered to a convenience sample of 200 married women. Although only 4.5% (n = 9) of respondents were screened for violence at various health-care institutions over the past year, 75% (n = 150) of women declared that they intend to cooperate with screening. A positive correlation was found between women's marriage duration, beliefs concerning violence, attitudes towards screening, family member support for compliance with screening-and women's intention to comply with screening. The TRA succeeds in partially predicting women's intention to comply with screening.

Women’s Intention to Consent to Universal Screening for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) at Well Baby Clinics

“…This finding is consistent with the low screening rates reported in the literature (Todahl & Walters, 2011). However, this rate is much higher than that reported in a previous Israeli study, where only 4.5% of women reported having been screened for IPV at medical clinics and Well Baby clinics at least once over the past year (Ben Natan et al, 2013). This increase in universal screening of women for IPV during meetings with health care providers may possibly be explained by increased awareness on the part of nurses in general, and nurses working at Well Baby clinics in particular, possibly as a result of steps taken by Israeli health care policy makers in recent years (Ministry of Health, 2016).…”

“…The present study used a more extensive theoretical framework than the study by Ben Natan et al (2013), and also included a component of control with regard to universal screening for IPV. The findings reveal that the control component may play a more significant role in women's intention to comply with screening as compared with general attitudes to screening.…”

“…Previous research has explored screening for IPV using the TRA, which was the theoretical basis for the development of the TPB. Ben Natan, Abramov, Dhokarker, and Israelov (2013) examined the predictability of Israeli women's intention to consent to universal IPV screening using the components of the TRA. The study findings showed that the theory managed to predict 48% of the variance in women's intention to consent to universal IPV screening.…”

“…Social influence was found to be a factor that influenced women's intention to consent to universal IPV screening. Thus, the more supportive were the women's significant others with regard to screening, the greater were the women's levels of intention to consent to universal IPV screening (Ben Natan et al, 2013). Because the TPB was developed based on the TRA, the TPB may also be a useful tool for exploring factors associated with women's intention to consent to universal IPV screening, and its use in this context may therefore expand on the existing data in the literature.…”

“…Socioeconomic status, age, main complaint, or pregnancy were not found to affect perceptions of screening as unacceptable (Boyle & Jones, 2006). A positive effect of more years of marriage was found on intention consent to universal IPV screening (Ben Natan et al, 2013).…”