Effects of domestic violence in pediatric ages in a health area of Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: Domestic violence is one of the most frequent health problems today, it is not always reported, since fear prevails in the attacked people. Objective: Describe the effects of domestic violence in pediatric ages. Method: A descriptive, retrospective study was carried out at the Hermanos Cordové Provincial Hospital, during the months of January 2021 to January 2022. The population was 213 records using intentional sampling, 91 records of patients who attended in the indicated period were selected; The reason for consultation was that his condition was caused or a consequence of domestic violence. The variables measured: age, sex, type of violence against the child and the consequences. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the data. Results: Physical violence predominated in 47.2% (43), 67% (61) were female, and 51.7% (47) were in the 15-19 age group. The consequences found were: difficulty falling asleep and eating disorders in preschool patients (1-4 years) 7.7% (7), aggressiveness 16.4% (15) for the group of schoolchildren (5-14), lack of appetite and anorexia in adolescents (15-19) 23.0 % (21). Discussion: Patients affected by violence may present aggression, difficulty socializing and expressing themselves, as well as manifest difficulty in learning as a result of damage to motor development, psychological and intellectual. The affected person’s self-esteem is reduced and there are problems with eating or sleeping.