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Gender Differences in Health Symptoms Associated with the Exposure to Physical Violence in Family: Data from the 2006 National Health Survey in Serbia

  • GENDER ISSUES IN VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA
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Abstract

This study analyzed gender differences in exposure to family violence in Serbia and its association with health symptoms. Using data from the National Health Survey 2006 in Serbia, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were run to examine the association between exposure to physical violence in the family (in the past 12 months) and the occurrence of 15 different health symptoms (in the past 4 weeks). Out of 12,646 interviewed adults (older than 20), women reported experiencing family violence nearly 1.7 times more often than men (1.28 % vs. 0.75 %). Women had nine health symptoms significantly associated with experienced violence, while men had four, even after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Depression and insomnia were common for both genders. Results suggest that physicians should pay attention to health complaints, consider family violence as an associated factor, and address violence in a gender sensitive way that is free of prejudice and preconceptions.

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Acknowledgments

The 2006 National Health Survey for the population of Serbia (without data on Kosovo and Metohia) was conducted by the Ministry of Health Republic of Serbia with financial and professional support from the World Bank’s Serbia Health Project, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe—Country Office Serbia, and the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Serbia (Project No 175025).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 8, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Bosiljka Djikanovic

  2. School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Elizabeth J. King

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Centre-School of Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic

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  1. Bosiljka Djikanovic
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  2. Elizabeth J. King
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Correspondence to Bosiljka Djikanovic.

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Djikanovic, B., King, E.J. & Bjegovic-Mikanovic, V. Gender Differences in Health Symptoms Associated with the Exposure to Physical Violence in Family: Data from the 2006 National Health Survey in Serbia. J Fam Viol 28, 753–761 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9545-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9545-6

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