The health of pregnant women is a major concern to health care providers. This grounded theory study of 40 women examined the health of pregnant women and the special threat that poverty and violence posed to their capacity for health. Pregnant women experienced their health as an integrated part of their daily lives; that is, they reported that their health was affected by 'everybody and everything." Women's main concern during pregnancy was to have a healthy newborn and, to this end, they engaged in the process of creating a healthy pregnancy by engaging in health-enhancing behaviours. In this process, the woman focused primarily on ensuring the birth of a healthy baby. Three conditions were essential to a woman's capacity to create a healthy pregnancy: (1) the acceptance of the pregnancy, (2) adequate financial resources, and (3) supportive relationships (especially having a supportive partner). Pregnancies invariably carried with them some uncertainty, and this caused the 40 women in this study to experience a state of vulnerability which, in turn, triggered attempts to create healthy pregnancies. This led to a cycle of improving health: the more energy women had to carry out health-enhancing behaviours the better they felt physically and mentally; the more able they were to conduct their daily activities; and, consequently, the better their health. However, living within a context of poverty and/or violence increased pregnant women's vulnerability and decreased their capacity for creating a healthy pregnancy, leading to extreme stress and the experience of threat. Male violence threatened the women's ability to be connected to those who were important sources of emotional, financial, task-oriented, and knowledge-oriented support, and, thus jeopardized their ability to meet their fundamental needs. Furthermore, the lack of sufficient financial resources limited women's abilities to leave their abusive partners. In order to survive, women in these circumstances sometimes reverted to previous, often harmful, ways of coping in an attempt to reduce their high levels of stress. These coping strategies usually took the form of behaviours that required little energy, such as smoking, not eating properly, and consuming alcohol. Having financial support and a safe place to go were crucial with regard to enabling women to decide to leave abusive partners. Regaining control of their lives in this way allowed women to refocus their energy on health-enhancing behaviours. The women in this study showed incredible strength as they met the challenges imposed by poverty and abuse. They did not remain victims but took hold of their lives with courage and conviction. In order to promote the adoption of health-enhancing behaviours by childbearing women, health care providers must recognize poverty and violence as factors that significantly threaten women's capacity for health. Further to this, special efforts must be made to render culturally sensitive care to First Nations women (i.e., recognizing their cultural identity and heritage, their connection to nature, and the importance of the elders of their community). To this end, we must recognize the connections between racism, colonization, poverty, and violence. For until we have eradicated poverty, and the cycle of violence and degradation that is its legacy, we will not have succeeded in doing all we can to ensure the health and well being of our citizens.

Despite growing awareness of the severity of domestic violence, the lives of battered women are too often misconstrued by the Canadian public and the judicial system. The author argues that stereotypes of victimized battered women emanating from the courts and feminist theory may both prevent women who kill their partner from making valid claims of self-defence and generally undermine women's fight against oppression. The author reviews the doctrine of the battered woman syndrome and its application in the context of self-defence to illustrate how the courts' treatment of the doctrine conveys a narrow and incomplete depiction of battered women. An alternative theoretical framework based on battered women's partial agency is proposed as a means to address feminist theory's simplified representation of battered women. Various law and policy reform initiatives in the criminal justice system are explored to assess how the law may validate and promote battered women's partial agency.

Background: Domestic violence is a major social problem both nationally and internationally. Around the world 35% of the women say that they have experienced physical and/or sexual violence. In most cases it is the woman's partner who subjected her to violence. Every year, 12,000 -14,000 women in Sweden seek medical help as a result of injury incurred of domestic violence. The healthcare in Sweden has a responsibility when it comes to detecting, treating and documenting, but also to prevent violence and its consequences. Aim: To examine the extent to which nurses and midwives asking women about domestic violence, barriers for asking the question and making visible steps to increase the ability to ask the question. Method: A literature review, were included articles reviewed and quality determined. Articles results were then analyzed and presented in three main themes and related sub-categories. Main results: The literature review is based on 13 pieces of scientific articles from Sweden, USA, England, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Turkey, Israel and Canada. Of the analyzed results three main themes were derived, "To question," "Obstacle" and "Opportunities". Both nurses and midwives underestimate the prevalence of domestic violence and only 50% of nurses and midwives routinely ask the question of domestic violence. However, it is common that the question is asked at times when suspicion of violence is at hand. Obstacles to not ask the question describe as lack of time, lack of knowledge and training, lack of privacy and present partners. Opportunities for routine screening of domestic violence are described to be further education and knowledge, clear policies and procedures from employers. Conclusion: The literature study results show that both nurses and midwives need to be better at routinely ask about domestic violence. This is due to more cases of violence against women coming to light and enable more people to have the opportunity to support and help. It also suggests that the greatest obstacles to ask the question are lack of knowledge, training, time and privacy. By giving healthcare professionals access to education and training in domestic violence and how to ask the question and handle the response, the authors believe that several of these obstacles can be rectified in the future. / Bakgrund: Våld i nära relation är ett stort samhällsproblem både nationellt och internationellt. Av kvinnorna runt om i världen så uppger 35 % att de någon gång har utsatts för fysiskt och/eller sexuellt våld. I de flesta fall så är det kvinnans partner som utsatt henne för våldet. Varje år tvingas 12 000 -14 000 kvinnor i Sverige att uppsöka sjukvård till följd av skador som uppstått när de utsatts för våld i nära relation. Hälso- och sjukvården har ett ansvar vad det gäller att upptäcka, behandla och dokumentera, men även att förebygga våld och dess konsekvenser.   Syfte: Att undersöka i vilken utsträckning sjuksköterskor och barnmorskor frågar kvinnor om våld i nära relation, hinder till att ställa frågan samt att synliggöra åtgärder för att öka möjligheten att ställa frågan. Metod: En litteraturstudie där inkluderade artiklar granskats och kvalitetsbestämts. Artiklarnas resultat har sedan analyserats och presenterats i 3 huvudteman med tillhörande underteman. Huvudresultat: Litteraturstudien grundar sig på 13 vetenskapliga artiklar från Sverige, USA, England, Nord Irland, Belgien, Turkiet, Israel och Kanada. Av resultatet analyserades tre huvudteman fram, “Att fråga”, “Hinder” och “Möjligheter”. Både sjuksköterskor och barnmorskor tenderar att underskatta förekomsten av våld i nära relation och cirka 50 % av sjuksköterskorna och barnmorskorna ställer rutinmässigt frågan om våld i nära relation. Det är dock vanligare att frågan ställs vid tillfällen då misstanke om våld finns. Hinder till att inte ställa frågan beskriv vara tidsbrist, bristande kunskap och utbildning, brist på avskildhet samt närvarande partner. Möjligheter till rutinmässig screening om våld i nära relation beskrivs vara vidare utbildning samt mer kunskap, tydliga riktlinjer och rutiner från arbetsgivarna. Slutsats: Litteraturstudiens resultat visar samstämmigt på att både sjuksköterskor och barnmorskor kan bli bättre på att rutinmässigt ställa frågan om våld i nära relation. Detta på grund av att fler fall av våld mot kvinnor ska uppdagas och att fler ska kunna ges möjlighet till stöd och hjälp. Det framkommer även att de största hindren till att ställa frågan är brist på kunskap, utbildning, tid och avskildhet. Genom att ge vårdpersonal möjlighet till utbildning och träning inom våld i nära relation samt hur man ställer frågan och hanterar svaret, tror författarna att flera av dessa hinder kan avhjälpas.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-154).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-133). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-142). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-73). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Psychology. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 67-83)

Bakgrund: I Sverige år 2012 gjordes 28 000 anmälningar av misshandel mot kvinnor över 18 år. Våld i nära relationer utövas vanligast av en man mot en kvinna. Det finns fysiskt, psykiskt, sexuellt och socialt våld som negativt påverkar kvinnan på olika sätt. Varje år tvingas 12 000 -14 000 kvinnor i Sverige att uppsöka sjukvård till följd av skador som uppstått när de utsatts för våld i nära relation. Syfte: Att undersöka hur kvinnors liv påverkas utav mäns våld i nära relationer genom att identifiera vilka de fysiska, psykiska, sociala och sexuella komplikationer detta resulterar i. Metod: En litteraturstudie där inkluderade vetenskapliga artiklar kvalitetsgranskats. Artiklarnas resultat har sedan analyserats och presenterats i fyra huvudteman utifrån frågeställningen. Huvudresultat: Enligt litteraturstudiens resultat ansågs det psykiska våldet och dess konsekvenser vara värst för kvinnan. De komplikationer som förekommer mest frekvent är att kvinnan drabbas av psykiska tillstånd såsom ångest (42-91%), depression (64-76%), posttraumatiskt stressyndrom (19-86%) och att kvinnan är ekonomiskt begränsad (22-86%) samt känner rädsla (42-70%), skam (36-79%) och förtvivlan (14-63%). Slutsats: Mäns våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer bidrar till negativa hälsokonsekvenser för den våldsutsatta kvinnan både, fysiskt, psykiskt, socialt och sexuellt. Kvinnorna skuldbelade sig själva för våldet och skämdes för situationen vilket gjorde att de undanhöll att berätta om våldet för någon och lät bli att söka hjälp. Detta visar att identifieringen, bemötandet och behandlingen av våldsutsatta kvinnor kan bli bättre. Genom att vårdpersonal får möjlighet till mer utbildning och kunskap i våld i nära relationer kan detta arbetet förbättras. / Background: In Sweden in 2012 were 28,000 complaints of abuse against women over 18 years. Domestic violence is exercised frequently by a man against a woman. There are physical, psychological, sexual and social violence that negatively affect women in different ways. Every year, 12,000 -14,000 women in Sweden seek medical help as a result of injury incurred of domestic violence. Aim: To examine how women's lives are affected by male violence in intimate relationships by identifying the physical, psychological, social and sexual complications. Method: A literature review, were included articles reviewed and quality determined. Articles results were then analyzed and presented in four main themes based on the issue. Main results: According to the result of the literature study, psychological violence and its consequences was the worst for the woman. The complications that occur most frequently is that women suffer from mental disorders such as anxiety (42-91%), depression (64-76%), post-traumatic stress disorder (19-86%) and that the woman are economic limited (22-86%) and feels fear (42-70%), shame (36-79%) and despair (14-63%). Conclusion: Men's violence against women in intimate relationships contribute to negative health consequences for the abused woman both physically, mentally, socially and sexually. The women were blaming themselves for the violence and were ashamed of the situation. That made them not to tell anyone about the violence and did not seek help. This shows that the identification and treatment of abused women can be better. By giving the medical staff more education and knowledge of domestic violence, the work can be improved.