The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

3178.0: Monday, November 11, 2002 - Board 1

Abstract #38895

Intimate partner violence and health care issues in the news: What's the story?

Jennifer A. Manganello, MPH, Center for Gun Policy and Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, Hampton House, Room 593, Baltimore, MD 21205-1996, 443-804-1171, jmangane@jhsph.edu

Because of the negative health effects of violence against women, there have been several policies developed to address issues concerning the health care of female victims of violence, particularly those affected by intimate partner violence. Such policies include the training of health care providers regarding issues of intimate partner violence and requirements for health care providers to screen for abuse. Since news coverage has been shown to contribute in different ways to the health of the nation, including informing the public and shaping policy debates, the aim of this study is to describe the frequency and nature of print news coverage of intimate partner violence as a health care issue. In order to understand how newspapers have discussed these issues, a content analysis was conducted to review articles from a sample of 85 newspapers from across the country. News articles, editorials, and opinion pieces focusing on intimate partner violence and issues related to health care were selected for the years 1991 through 2001. Results to be presented include: changes in frequency and nature of coverage over time, use of sources and statistics in news articles, comparisons of coverage across states, and whether differences in coverage exist at certain times, such as domestic violence awareness month. The results will provide information to people working in the field, such as advocates, researchers and policymakers, which may help develop future media strategies, education campaigns, further studies, and policy initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Media

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Violence Against Women Posters

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA