Study designs of evaluations included in the review
To be eligible for inclusion, the studies had to be primary, prospective and controlled. Reviews were excluded.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of interventions aimed at preventing or reducing spousal abuse towards women, within the scope of public health practice in Canada, were eligible for inclusion. The studies had to have women as the subject of the intervention or, if the intervention involved men, outcomes related to spousal abuse were reported. The interventions evaluated in the included studies were services of a trained advocate, protective shelter or referrals for legal and criminal justice or safety planning, counselling, mentoring, implementation of an abuse assessment protocol, and screening. The interventions were implemented by a variety of professionals and non-professionals. The comparators included no intervention, wallet-sized advice cards, and routine social services interview.
Participants included in the review
Studies of women suffering spousal abuse were eligible for inclusion. The review included studies of post-shelter stay battered women, abused women aged 18 and over, and pregnant women identified at prenatal or public health clinics.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies reporting the outcomes of the intervention, including rates of spousal abuse, were eligible for inclusion. The outcomes reported in the included studies related to women (abuse, obtaining resources and resource utilisation, social support, quality of life, self esteem/self efficacy/locus of control, safety behaviours, and involvement with, and independence from, assailant) and practitioners (identification of abuse and referrals initiated).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers independently assessed the search results for potentially relevant studies, with articles considered relevant by either reviewer retrieved for appraisal. Two reviewers independently assessed the retrieved articles, and any disagreements were resolved by consensus.