Drug abuse and other risk factors for physical abuse in pregnancy among white non-Hispanic, black, and Hispanic women

We investigated prevalence and risk factors associated with physical abuse among a tricultural population of 501 pregnant women who attended a public prenatal clinic. Twenty percent ( 98 501) reported being physically abused; 29% ( 28 98) stated that abuse occurred during pregnancy. More white non-Hispanic women reported previous abuse than did black or Hispanic women. Battered women more frequently were divorced or separated, were of greater parity, smoked, used alcohol, or admitted to illicit drug use than did women who were not battered. An increased risk of previous physical abuse was observed among white non-Hispanic and black women who used alcohol (odds ratios = 3.0 and 6.0) or drugs (odds ratios = 2.1 and 3.7) but not among Hispanic women. Odds ratios of 4.7 for cocaine use among white non-Hispanic women, 4.7 for marijuana use among black women, and 5.8 for tobacco use among Hispanic women were observed. This is the first study to report the effects of race on the association between physical abuse of pregnant women and sustance use.