Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Social Support Among Pregnant Individuals in Ghana [ID 3455]

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue globally and is associated with poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. Social support may serve as a buffer or attenuator of IPV in low-resource settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional study explored associations between IPV and social support in pregnancy. Participants were 132 third-trimester pregnant people attending prenatal care at a tertiary hospital in Ghana. A verbally administered survey consisted of sociodemographics and two validated tools: The Abuse Assessment Screen and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. The Mann–Whitney U test compared median scale scores. Informed consent was obtained. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 31.9 (SD 5.03) years, mean parity of 1.42 (SD 1.31), and 76.5% were married. 92.6% lived with an adult they considered to be a support person, of which husbands were most common (72.7%). 17.4% reported ever experiencing IPV, 6.8% experienced IPV in the last year, and 2.3% experienced IPV during their current pregnancy. The overall social support scale had a median score of 84.9 (possible 0 to 100), ranging from a minimum of 27.6 to a maximum of 100. Subscale medians were emotional/informational support 81.3, tangible support 87.5, affectionate support 83.3, and positive social interaction 83.3. Participants who experienced IPV in the last year reported significantly lower levels of all social support subtypes and overall social support ( P <.05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Diminished social support may heighten vulnerability among pregnant people with a history of IPV in low-resource settings.