Physical and sexual assault of women with disabilities

Violence Against Women. 2006 Sep;12(9):823-37. doi: 10.1177/1077801206292672.

Abstract

North Carolina women were surveyed to examine whether women's disability status was associated with their risk of being assaulted within the past year. Women's violence experiences were classified into three groups: no violence, physical assault only (without sexual assault), and sexual assault (with or without physical assault). Multivariable analysis revealed that women with disabilities were not significantly more likely than women without disabilities to have experienced physical assault alone within the past year (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.62 to 2.27); however, women with disabilities had more than 4 times the odds of experiencing sexual assault in the past year compared to women without disabilities (OR = 4.89, 95% CI = 2.21 to 10.83).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Battered Women / psychology
  • Battered Women / statistics & numerical data*
  • Comorbidity
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Disabled Persons / psychology
  • Disabled Persons / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • North Carolina / epidemiology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Sexual Partners*
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology
  • Spouse Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Women's Health*