Study Design
We conducted a multicenter case–control study at eight large, university-affiliated emergency departments throughout the United States. The emergency departments were in suburban, urban, and innercity areas and had a diverse clientele, ensuring a broad representation of women with acute injuries due to domestic violence. The institutional review board at each study site approved the study. All subjects provided oral consent, and all were guaranteed anonymity. The use of written consent was avoided in order to prevent a link identifying subjects to the questionnaires administered.