The Effect of Intimate Partner Violence on Children's Medical System Engagement and Physical Health: A Systematic Review

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure continues to be a pervasive problem for children. Although the impact of IPV exposure on children's mental health has been well-documented, the impact of IPV exposure on children's physical health, as well as families' engagement with the medical system for their children's physical health needs (e.g., contact with primary care pediatricians, emergency room visits) remains under-studied. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize quantitative studies examining the association between IPV exposure and (a) medical system engagement and (b) physical health outcomes, and to examine methodological factors that may influence findings. A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic bibliographic databases to identify research examining outcomes of IPV-exposed children up to August of 2020. Citations were coded by two independent researchers to determine inclusion and exclusion, and then coded again to identify studies examining medical system engagement and physical health outcomes. A total of 31 citations were included. Consistent results were found across studies in that, compared with non-exposed children, IPV-exposed children were less likely to be up to date on immunizations, had an increased rate of emergency room visits, had more contact with primary care pediatricians, were more likely to have an increased risk of poor lung functioning, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies, and reported more general physical health problems. In addition to further research in this area, this study identifies the need for training healthcare providers to implement consistent IPV screening and provide IPV-exposed children and families with referrals to trauma-informed, community-based interventions.
Author(s): Megan R. Holmes [sup.1] , Kristen A. Berg [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anna E. Bender [sup.1] , Kylie E. Evans [sup.1] , Julia M. Kobulsky [sup.3] , Alexis P. Davis [...]