Biomaterial Database

Physical therapists' recognition of battered women in clinical settings. 1996

T J Clark, and L S McKenna, and M J Jewell

Master of Physical Therapy Program, Samuel Merritt College, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study were to describe physical therapists' knowledge regarding battered women and to determine whether physical therapists recognize these patients in clinical settings. METHODS Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to outpatient physical therapists in northern California. One hundred fifty-one usable questionnaires (76%) were returned. RESULTS Although 43% of the respondents reported treating a patient they identified or strongly suspected as having been battered, only two respondents (1%) reported they routinely asked patients about physical abuse. Less than 50% of the respondents correctly identified that battering injuries are more likely to occur in a central pattern (ie, head, neck, chest, abdomen). CONCLUSIONS The results of this survey suggest that physical therapists have treated patients who are battered. Many physical therapists, however, may not be fully educated to detect the signs of abuse. This study is the first step in initiating physical therapy research in domestic violence identification and education.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007398	Interpersonal Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons.	Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D007722	Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice	Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).	Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D008297	Male		Males
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002140	California	State bounded on the east by Nevada and Arizona, on the south by Mexico and the Pacific Ocean on the south and west, and on the north by Oregon.
D003863	Depression	Depressive states usually of moderate intensity in contrast with MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER present in neurotic and psychotic disorders.	Depressive Symptoms,Emotional Depression,Depression, Emotional,Depressive Symptom,Symptom, Depressive
D004496	Education, Continuing	Educational programs designed to inform individuals of recent advances in their particular field of interest. They do not lead to any formal advanced standing.	Continuous Learning,Life-Long Learning,Lifelong Learning,Continuing Education,Learning, Continuous,Learning, Life-Long,Learning, Lifelong,Learnings, Life-Long,Life Long Learning,Life-Long Learnings
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man