Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Gender -based Violence Screening Methods Preferred by Women  Visiting a Public 
Hospital in Pune, India.  
 
Version: 0 Date: 13 Oct 2017  
 
Reviewer: Khurshed Alam  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Gender -based violence (GBV) is a major global public health issue which is a risk factor for 
adverse health outcomes. Early identification of GBV is crucial for improved health outcomes 
among the victims. Interactions with health care providers may give a unique opportunity for 
routine GBV screening, if a safe, confidential environment can be established.  
 
The authors followed a face to face interview method in between November 2014 and February 
2015. It was done with a cross -section where women were interv iewed about their opinions 
concerning GBV screening in a tertiary health care setting. Trained counsellors interviewed 300 
women at different out -patient and in -patient departments using a semi -structured questionnaire. 
Twenty -three percent of these women reported experiencing GBV in their life since marriage. 
More than half (53%) women reported face -to-face interview as the most preferred method for 
screening. There were no major differences in these preferences by GBV history status.  
 
The study has seriou s methodological limitations which are as follows:  
 
1. Only women willing to report were interviewed, so a sample bias is very clear.  
2. As knowledge goes the hospital is mainly used by low income group, among whom GBV 
is usually high, for which finding is  not matching with national or regional average.  
3. Many husbands in Pune used to take alcohol, who also commonly go for GBV but that is 
not reflected in the findings. That could be another method of detecting the GBV.    
4. All the patients are not from t he city, some may be from the rural areas as well. So, they 
may have some kind of reservation in disclosing GBV.  
5. The detection method, therefore, not a rigorous one and therefore, methodologically not 
sound. No new or innovative approach could be devel oped by the authors. In that sense 
the paper does not add any value to our knowledge.     
  
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please comp lete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of t his 
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2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently apply ing for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other fina ncial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'.  
 
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