Carry-Forward Scope: Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Corps to Reduce Maternal Injuries and Deaths due to Violence

Grants and Contracts Details

Description

Problem: Violence complicates 8% of pregnancies and is the leading cause of maternal deaths in the USA. Pregnancy appears to increase intimate partner violence (IPV): 1 in 6 women report being assaulted first during pregnancy and IPV-related homicide rates are 84% higher among pregnant versus non-pregnant women. Kentucky’s maternal mortality rates are our nations’ 2nd highest thus highlighting Kentucky’s need for greater capacity to address the goal of reducing maternal injury and deaths due to violence. Our objective is to build capacity by 1) creating and rigorously evaluating Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Corps training to identify and address IPV among pregnant/postpartum women (aim 1), and 2) developing an expanded surveillance system to accurately enumerate maternal deaths and injuries due to violence (aim 2). Our partnership initiative to build capacity will be Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. Statewide Advisory Board will support data interpretations and dissemination. Intervention: an adapted training based on two evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs: 1) Domestic Violence (DOVE) is a violence intervention program designed to screen women for IPV, and, if IPV is detected to reduce IPV with supportive home visits. 2) Green Dot is a bystander-based violence prevention found to prevent dating and sexual violence among high school and college students. Both programs will be adapted for implementation with advanced undergraduates or health professions University of Kentucky students, and evaluated using a 2- Arm Randomized Control Trial. For the Attention Control randomized students will receive substance use disorder awareness and intervention training. All training will be delivered electronically due to COVID precautions. With Kentucky’s Injury Prevent Research Center, we will expand their public health surveillance for maternal deaths to build a novel maternal morbidity surveillance system from medical claims, public health, drug overdose, and service providers data. Markers of maternal morbidity due to violence will include physical or sexual injuries, substance abuse, and suicidal actions. Expected Outcomes: With VIP Corps effectiveness evaluated, we anticipate that its dissemination with increase IPV detection and referrals in the short term and reduce maternal injuries due to violence in the longer term as measured with the comprehensive statewide surveillance of maternal morbidity due to violence.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date9/30/219/29/24

Funding

  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

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