Critical Review: A Study of Domestic Violence against Pregnant Women

This critical review assesses a study on domestic violence against pregnant women, focusing on its methodology, findings, and implications. The review examines how a media article utilized the published research from BMJ Open, highlighting the prevalence of domestic violence among approximately 33,000 pregnant women between 2006 and 2016. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the original article, including its reliance on quantitative data and potential biases in data collection. Alternative data collection methods, such as qualitative interviews with healthcare providers, are proposed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issue. The review also addresses the limitations of the published article, including the lack of detailed information on hospital initiatives and challenges in communicating with victims from diverse cultural backgrounds. The research questions, methods, and limitations of the study are critically analyzed, offering insights into improving future research in this area. Desklib provides this and many other solved assignments for students.

Running head: CRITICAL REVIEW
Critical Review
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
1. Discuss how the media article has used the published research..................................................2
2. What information is used from published journal:......................................................................2
3. What message is the media article trying to convey....................................................................3
4. What information is not been used in the media article:.............................................................3
5. Strengths of the original published article...................................................................................3
6. Weakness of published article:....................................................................................................4
7. Research question of published article:.......................................................................................4
9. Propose alternate methods of data collection and analysis..........................................................5
10. Limitation of published article:.................................................................................................6
Reference List:.................................................................................................................................7

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1. Discuss how the media article has used the published research
This particular media article has raised their voice on how pregnant women have to be
the victim of domestic violence. Based on this information Journal BMJ Open has made an in-
depth research. The research shows that around 33,000 pregnant women belonging to various
ethnic group have faced this issue between 2006 to 2016 (theconversation.com 2018). The
research has examined that domestic violence especially in pregnant women not only casus a
stress as well as trauma. It has a chance to reduce the weight of newborn babe. Moreover, the
research shows that domestic violence is becoming the cause of marital suicide. New Zealand
and Sudan are the most affected areas where the pregnant women are getting immensely
victimized. After evaluating data and information about the rate of domestic violence among
pregnant women, midwives need to be considered. By asking necessary questions with the
women about their issues in staying with their family midwives need to gain the trust of victims.
After making effective interaction, it has been observed that victims had to face immense stress
and depression being unable to maintain a healthy relationship with the partners. As a result, they
failed to get proper care and assistance from their partner even at the stage of their pregnancy.
2. What information is used in published journal:
The information that is gathered from the public journal includes on how the pregnant
women are becoming the victim of domestic violence. In order to make an effective quantitative
data analysis a survey is conducted by involving the victims. After making several close ended
questions the researcher has received feedback from participants. It has been observed that 33
542 women were involved while gathering data and information. Around 4.3% of women have
stated that lack of support, extreme stress and distress, couple relationship problem are the

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specific reasons of domestic violence (bmj.com 2017). As a result, women have to face
challenges in leading a healthy life. This journal article is used for this study in order to collect
data on how women have faced anxiety, depression, restless more effectively. Midwives care is
the suggested solutions that the public journal has given in order to resolve this issue. One the
most significant weakness of this journal is this particular study is primarily based on the report
provided by Intimate partner violence. As a result, the researcher could have collected more data
and information before resolving the research issue. However, this very specific study has not
focused to evaluate a proper survey method by making questionnaires. The quantitative data is
analyzed based on statistical facts and figures about the rate of domestic violence widely
3. What message is the media article trying to convey
The primary message that the media article is trying to convey includes around 4.3% of
the pregnant women are getting victimized of domestic violence. As a result, the rate of marital
suicide is increased day by day. In this kind of situation, health care centers are taking effective
initiative in resolving these kinds of issues.
4. What information is not been used in the media article:

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The initiatives taken by the hospitals after taking the admission of those victims has not
been discussed in the study properly. Women are from different cultural backgrounds. They have
to face immense challenges in interacting with those women due to cultural barrier as well as
linguistic barrier (Jahanfar et al. 2013). However, the challenges that the hospitals have to face in
communicating with those victim women has not been discussed in detailed in this journal.
5. Strengths of the original published article
The entire journal article has gathered data and information based on quantitative
research work. The primary strength of this quantitative framework is that the researcher can get
direct and immediate response from the participants. On the other hand, by involving the victims
data is gathered based on close ended questions. As a result, the research is able to make in-depth
research on the issue (Bernard 2017). With the help of graphical representation the researcher
has proved positive result of research issue. Graphical representation made the readers
understand about the overview of research result at a glance.
6. Weakness of published article:
This public article is based on only quantitative data collection method. On quantitative
data collection technique those participants are involved within the research who are directly
associated with research issue (Smith 2015). In this published journal the researcher has involved
victimized women who had to leave their shelter due to domestic violence. Collecting data only
from the victims may be biased. In addition, the researcher could have made secondary research
analysis in order to present the opinion of eminent research scholars as well in order to know
their concern in the research issue.

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7. Research question of published article:
The necessary research questions that are formed for evaluating the entire research work
are as follows:
 What is the impact of intimate partner violence, which causes a social damage?
 What kinds of negative outcomes the women have to face after facing domestic violence at
the stage of their maternity?
 What should be the proper recommendations for overcoming this severe issue?
8. Research method used in the published journal:
The research method that is used for evaluating the research issue includes positivism
research philosophy with deductive approach. As per the belief of positivists, observation is
repeatable but the phenomenon is isolated. Positivism philosophy believes in evaluating the
research issue based on repeated and keen observation. The researcher has observed the
psychology of women on how they suffered and react after facing massive domestic violence.
With the help of positivism research philosophy the study has made a keen observation on how
the women have to face immense domestic violence especially in the areas of New Zealand,
Australia. While making the data analysis and findings it has been observed that 33 542 women
were involved for making an in-depth survey method. Each of the graphs has presented
comparative analysis about the reasons of domestic violence as well as rate of victims as per
zone (Makayoto et al. 2013). With the help of non-probability sampling technique it is observed
that Women born in New Zealand (7.2%) and Sudan (9.1%) were most likely to report IPV at the
antenatal booking visit. Non-probability sample technique likes to involve selected respondents

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who have direct link with the research issue. Thus, the researcher by using non-probability
sampling technique has involved the victims directly while gathering data and information.
9. Propose alternate methods of data collection and analysis
However, this very specific published research journal article has evaluated gathered
data and information based on quantitative data collection technique (Pallitto et al. 2013). In
quantitative data collection technique the research has to be dependent on survey method. As a
result, the author did not get enough scope in making interview session by involving the
supervisors of various health care centers on how pregnant women have to face the issue of
domestic violence. Therefore, the response of the victims may be biased (Howard et al. 2013).
With the help of qualitative form of data collection method the author could have got the
opportunity to know on how the health care centers have to face challenges in dealing with the
women of different ethnic group when language is a major barrier. Therefore, it can be suggested
that the study could have made a systematic qualitative data analysis procedure as well.
10. Limitation of published article:
The data analysis procedure of this journal is not devoid of some major limitations. Abadi
et al. (2012) stated that in quantitative form of data analysis procedure the researcher should
make a proper graphical representation of the survey results so that people by observing the
research paper at a glance can get overall view about the result of data analysis and findings.
However, this very specific study has not focused to evaluate a proper survey method by making
questionnaires. The quantitative data is analyzed based on statistical facts and figures about the
rate of domestic violence widely (Lemieux 2014).

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Reference List:
Abadi, M.N.L., Ghazinour, M., Nojomi, M. and Richter, J., 2012. The buffering effect of social support
between domestic violence and self-esteem in pregnant women in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Family
Violence, 27(3), pp.225-231.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marzieh_Nojomi/publication/257588309_The_Buffering_Effect_of
_Social_Support_between_Domestic_Violence_and_Self-
Esteem_in_Pregnant_Women_in_Tehran_Iran/links/54a14b030cf256bf8baf5aa0/The-Buffering-Effect-
of-Social-Support-between-Domestic-Violence-and-Self-Esteem-in-Pregnant-Women-in-Tehran-Iran.pdf
Bernard, H.R., 2017. Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches. Rowman & Littlefield.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e145/acdc9b70f0052326502db5f1692d64b44f80.pdf
bmj.com 2017. The relationship between intimate partner violence reported at the first antenatal
booking visit and obstetric and perinatal outcomes in an ethnically diverse group of Australian
pregnant women: a population-based study over 10 years. Available at
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/4/e019566
Howard, L.M., Oram, S., Galley, H., Trevillion, K. and Feder, G., 2013. Domestic violence and perinatal
mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS medicine, 10(5), p.e1001452.
http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001452
Jahanfar, S., Janssen, P.A., Howard, L.M. and Dowswell, T., 2013. Interventions for preventing
or reducing domestic violence against pregnant women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2.
http://cochranelibrary-wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009414.pub2/full

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Makayoto, L. A., Omolo, J., Kamweya, A. M., Harder, V. S., & Mutai, J. (2013). Prevalence and
associated factors of intimate partner violence among pregnant women attending Kisumu District
Hospital, Kenya. Maternal and child health journal, 17(3), 441-447.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3574621/
Pallitto, C.C., García‐Moreno, C., Jansen, H.A., Heise, L., Ellsberg, M. and Watts, C., 2013. Intimate
partner violence, abortion, and unintended pregnancy: Results from the WHO Multi‐country Study on
Women's Health and Domestic Violence. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 120(1), pp.3
https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/46964152/Intimate_partner_violence_abortion_and_
u20160702-11960-e14e5x.pdf?
AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1526196324&Signature=xYm7eF59enIne
Qs0noVHv%2Bd5GWw%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename
%3DIntimate_partner_violence_abortion_and_u.pdf

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Smith, J.A. ed., 2015. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victoria_Clarke2/publication/
269930318_Review_of_the_book_Interpretative_Phenomenological_Analysis_Theory_Method_
and_Research/links/5499a36e0cf22a8313962621/Review-of-the-book-Interpretative-
Phenomenological-Analysis-Theory-Method-and-Research.pdf
theconversation.com 2018. Pregnant women are at increased risk of domestic violence in all
cultural groups. [online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/pregnant-women-are-at-
increased-risk-of-domestic-violence-in-all-cultural-groups-95048 [Accessed 10 May 2018].