Forgone healthcare and intimate partner violence: A study in six European urban centres

Costa D, Hatzidimitriadou E, Ioannidi-Kapolou E, et al. Forgone healthcare and intimate partner violence: A study in six European urban centres. Presented at the 142nd American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans

Physical intimate partner violence in Europe: results from a population-based multi-center study in six countries

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence, determinants and health consequences of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in Western Europe has never been considered in a cross-cultural perspective, taking men and women involvement in the three patterns of violence: victims, perpetrators or both. METHODS: We assessed a representative sample of adults (18-64 years; N=3496) living in Athens-Greece, Porto-Portugal, Budapest-Hungary, London-United Kingdom, Östersund-Sweden and Stuttgart-Germany. Past-year physical IPV was assessed using the Revised-Conflict-Tactics-Scales. The association between IPV and child abuse, socioeconomics (education, occupation, unemployment duration), behavioral (alcohol) and health factors (chronic diseases, anxiety and depressive symptoms), by sex and IPV pattern, was estimated using age- and city-adjusted logistic regression odds ratios (AOR, 95% confidence intervals). RESULTS: Physical IPV was reported by 17.7% (16.0-19.4%) of women (3.5% victims-only, 4.2% perpetrators-only and 10.0% both victims and perpetrators) and by 19.8% (17.8-22.0%) of men (4.1%, 3.8% and 11.9%, respectively). In general, Greek presented the highest and Portuguese the lowest estimates. History of child abuse increased the risk of all IPV patterns. In women, unemployment duration and blue collar occupation were associated with increased likelihood of all IPV patterns. In men, only unemployment duration was associated with increased perpetration and lower occupation with victimization. Heavy alcohol use, chronic diseases and self-assessment of health as poor or fair were significantly associated with female involvement in IPV, both as victim and perpetrator. Anxiety and depressive symptoms severity was higher in male and female declaring both victimization and perpetration. CONCLUSIONS: In these European men and women IPV was frequently experienced and child abuse a common determinant of victimization, perpetration or bi-directional violence. Irrespective of IPV pattern, socioeconomic inequalities were evident in females but less consistent in males. These findings confirm IPV as a major public health concern, and for those involved it significantly increases the burden of disease

Intimate partner violence and health-related quality of life in European men and women: findings from the DOVE study

Little is known on the specific relation between being a perpetrator or both a victim and perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We assessed the association between HRQoL and abuse, considering men and women as victims, perpetrators or reciprocally. Participants were adult men and women (n = 3,496), randomly selected from the general population of six European cities. The Revised-Conflict-Tactics-Scales and the Medical-Outcomes-Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to measure IPV and HRQoL. The age-, education-, and city-adjusted mean scores[standard error] of the physical and of the mental SF-36 component summaries were used to compare victims-only, perpetrators-only, and those involved in both (bidirectional or reciprocal cases) with those not involved in past-year and lifetime physical assault and/or sexual coercion. The physical component summary was significantly lower in women involved in past-year bidirectional physical assault compared with non-abused women. The mental component summary in women not involved in IPV was significantly higher than in those physically abused, regardless of type of involvement. Women victims-only of past-year sexual coercion and victims or involved in bidirectional concomitant physical and sexual IPV also presented lower scores in the mental component summary than women not involved in IPV. In men, significantly lower scores in the mental component summary were found in the past-year bidirectional physically assaulted group and among those involved bidirectionally in both physical and sexual IPV compared with men not involved in IPV. Experiencing physical and sexual IPV is negatively associated with HRQoL. Lower scores in the mental component summary of the SF-36 are evident among female victims and among males and females involved in intimate partner violence as both victims and perpetrators when compared to females and males not involved in violence

Intimate partner violence and health-related quality of life in European men and women: findings from the DOVE study

PURPOSE: Little is known on the specific relation between being a perpetrator or both a victim and perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We assessed the association between HRQoL and abuse, considering men and women as victims, perpetrators or reciprocally. METHODS: Participants were adult men and women (n = 3,496), randomly selected from the general population of six European cities. The Revised-Conflict-Tactics-Scales and the Medical-Outcomes-Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to measure IPV and HRQoL. The age-, education-, and city-adjusted mean scores[standard error] of the physical and of the mental SF-36 component summaries were used to compare victims-only, perpetrators-only, and those involved in both (bidirectional or reciprocal cases) with those not involved in past-year and lifetime physical assault and/or sexual coercion. RESULTS: The physical component summary was significantly lower in women involved in past-year bidirectional physical assault compared with non-abused women. The mental component summary in women not involved in IPV was significantly higher than in those physically abused, regardless of type of involvement. Women victims-only of past-year sexual coercion and victims or involved in bidirectional concomitant physical and sexual IPV also presented lower scores in the mental component summary than women not involved in IPV. In men, significantly lower scores in the mental component summary were found in the past-year bidirectional physically assaulted group and among those involved bidirectionally in both physical and sexual IPV compared with men not involved in IPV. CONCLUSION: Experiencing physical and sexual IPV is negatively associated with HRQoL. Lower scores in the mental component summary of the SF-36 are evident among female victims and among males and females involved in intimate partner violence as both victims and perpetrators when compared to females and males not involved in violence