The First Data from the European Project BR.A.I.N.: Characteristics of Intimate/Domestic Violence that are Associated with Incidents of Brain Injury

Research Objectives: To examine the characteristics of violence (intensity, frequency, chronicity) associated with incidents that put women at risk for ABI.

Design: Cross-sectional

Setting: Participants were women victims of domestic violence who called anonymously during November and December of 2022 at 1440; the helpline of the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Family (SPAVO) in Cyprus.

Participants: 729 women over the age of 18 experiencing domestic violence called the helpline. From those women, 442 (61%) reported physical abuse.

Interventions: Not Applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Four questions were asked about violent incidents that could increase the risk of ABI, including blows to the head and/or neck, strangulation, and severe shaking. Also, were asked questions regarding characteristics of the violence, such as intensity, frequency, and chronicity.

Results: From 442 women who reported physical abuse were reported 151 incidents that might result in ABI. From women that experience physical violence, 251 (57.3%) experience violence more than 2 years and 256 (58.6%) reported that the violence that experiencing increased in frequency and intensity during the past three months. We conducted a chi-square analysis to examine the relationship between chronicity of violence and incidents of strangulation, hits to the head and/or severe shaken. The results indicated a significant association between the variables, X2(78, N=442)=341.1, p<.001, X2(91, N=442)=383.3, p<.001, respectively, Also, we conducted a chi-square analysis to examine the relationship between frequency and intensity of violence and incidents of strangulation, hits to the head and/or severe shaken. The results indicated a significant association between the variables, X2(36, N=442)=278.4, p<.001, X2(42, N=442)=345, p<.001, respectively.

Conclusions: Our study highlights the urgent need for increased awareness, education, screening efforts to prevent and address the significant risk of ABI in cases of IPV.

Author(s) Disclosures: Nothing to disclose.