Exposure to Interpersonal Violence During Pregnancy and Its Association With Women’s Prenatal Care Utilization: A Meta-Analytic Review

Inadequate prenatal care utilization has been proposed as a mechanism between exposure to violence during pregnancy and adverse maternal and fetal obstetric outcomes. Adequate prenatal care is important for identifying and treating obstetric complications as they arise and connecting pregnant women to supports and interventions as needed. There is some evidence that pregnant women experiencing relational violence may delay or never enter prenatal care, though this association has not been systematically or quantitatively synthesized. The present meta-analysis investigates the relationship between interpersonal violence during pregnancy and inadequate prenatal care utilization across two dimensions: (1) no prenatal care during gestation (k = 9) and (2) delayed entry into prenatal care (k = 25). Studies were identified via comprehensive search of 9 social science and health-related databases and relevant reference lists. Studies were included if (1) participants were human, (2) violence occurred in the context of an interpersonal relationship, (3) abuse occurred during pregnancy (including abuse within 12 months before the time of assessment during pregnancy), (4) the study was empirical, peer-reviewed, and included quantitative data, (5) prenatal care utilization data were available, (6) they were in English, and (7) they were not part of an intervention study. Results from random-effects models found that women abused during pregnancy were more likely to never enter care (odds ratio [OR] = 2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.55, 4.42]) or to delay care (OR = 1.81, 95% CI [1.48, 2.23]). Sociodemographic, abuse-related, and methodological factors emerged as moderators. Practice, policy, and research implications are discussed.