Paper
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Predictors of Injury Associated with Rape of Adult Women
Patricia A. Crane, PhD, MSN, WHNP, RNC, School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| Learning Objective #1: describe the value of predictors associated with rape |
| Learning Objective #2: explain the implications of this research in understanding rape victims and their health care needs. |
The severity of rape-related injury is linked to negative health consequences. Studying the predictors associated with injury expands nurses’ knowledge of rape and the potential risks. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of physical injury in women with a recent history of rape. A secondary analysis evaluated cross-sectional data of women (N = 3318) from 13 to 89 years of age (M = 26.6; SD = 11.1 years) from three regions of the U.S. Variables included regional setting, age, ethnicity, known or unknown perpetrator, time from rape to examination, weapon presence, multiple perpetrators, and use of an evidence kit. Results of multiple logistic regression models included a significant forward stepwise model chi square [18] = 387.26, p = .001 and adequate fit based on the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit results, chi square [7] = 5.72, p = 5.7. Noteworthy results included multiple significant interactions. Common elements in many interactions included the regional setting, victim age, time from rape to examination, multiple perpetrators, weapon presence, age of victim, race of victim, and if perpetrator was unknown. The implications of research with large data bases highlight the importance of ongoing data collection with victims of violence, and help to improve health care providers understanding of the diverse health outcomes possible in various age and racial groups of women. The link between the health and legal systems, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration aimed at improvement of health and legal outcomes with victims of violence is evident. Most importantly, this research can lead to the refinement of data collection and storage methods that will inform the development of tailored interventions aimed at alleviating negative health outcomes for victims of rape.