Intimate partner violence among African American and African Caribbean women: prevalence, risk factors, and the influence of cultural attitudes.

BackgroundWomen of African descent are disproportionately affected by intimate partner abuse; yet, limited data exist on whether the prevalence varies for women of African descent in the United States and those in the US territories.ObjectiveIn this multisite study, we estimated lifetime and 2-year prevalence of physical, sexual, and psychological intimate partner abuse (IPA) among 1,545 women of African descent in the United States and US Virgin Islands (USVI). We also examined how cultural tolerance of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) influences abuse.DesignBetween 2009 and 2011, we recruited African American and African Caribbean women aged 18-55 from health clinics in Baltimore, MD, and St. Thomas and St. Croix, USVI, into a comparative case-control study. Screened and enrolled women completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview. Screening-based prevalence of IPA and IPV were stratified by study site and associations between tolerance of IPV and abuse experiences were examined by multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsMost of the 1,545 screened women were young, of low-income, and in a current intimate relationship. Lifetime prevalence of IPA was 45% in St. Thomas, 38% in St. Croix, and 37% in Baltimore. Lifetime prevalence of IPV was 38% in St. Thomas, 28% in St. Croix, and 30% in Baltimore. Past 2-year prevalence of IPV was 32% in St. Thomas, 22% in St. Croix, and 26% in Baltimore. Risk and protective factors for IPV varied by site. Community and personal acceptance of IPV were independently associated with lifetime IPA in Baltimore and St. Thomas.ConclusionsVariance across sites for risk and protective factors emphasizes cultural considerations in sub-populations of women of African descent when addressing IPA and IPV in given settings. Individual-based interventions should be coupled with community/societal interventions to shape attitudes about use of violence in relationships and to promote healthy relationships

Strategies Pregnant Rural Women Employ to Deal with Intimate Partner Violence

This study explored strategies from the Intimate Partner Violence Strategy Index (IPVSI) that a sub-set of 20 rural, low-income, abused women of a larger, multi-site, mixed-method study employed to deal with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during the perinatal period. We conducted 32 in-depth interviews with women who were pregnant (N = 12) and/or three months postpartum (N = 8). We then conducted content analysis of the IPVSI strategies employed by these women to halt, escape, or avoid the violence. We found that the women used the entire IPVSI range of safety planning, resisting, placating, and formal and informal support networks to deal with abuse in their lives. The urge to protect the unborn fetus and be a good mother seemed to be the impetus for halting, avoiding, or escaping the violence

Strategies Pregnant Rural Women Employ to Deal with Intimate Partner Violence

This study explored strategies from the Intimate Partner Violence Strategy Index (IPVSI) that a sub-set of 20 rural, low-income, abused women of a larger, multi-site, mixed-method study employed to deal with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during the perinatal period. We conducted 32 in-depth interviews with women who were pregnant (N = 12) and/or three months postpartum (N = 8). We then conducted content analysis of the IPVSI strategies employed by these women to halt, escape, or avoid the violence. We found that the women used the entire IPVSI range of safety planning, resisting, placating, and formal and informal support networks to deal with abuse in their lives. The urge to protect the unborn fetus and be a good mother seemed to be the impetus for halting, avoiding, or escaping the violence

Town and Gown Partnerships: Improving Pregnant Women’s Safety

In an effort to move research related to women and children experiencing violence from the university setting to the field, the DOVE study has been implemented to test the effectiveness of a structured intervention for pregnant women experiencing IPV. Using existing home health professionals, the DOVE program is directed at empowering new mothers in order to prevent their children’s exposure to IPV. A town (community) and gown (academic institution) partnership was developed to assist prenatal home visiting nurses to intervene with pregnant women experiencing IPV but barriers to working together were noted. Methods and Design: Quantitative and qualitative data from surveys and focus group discussions were gathered from the home visitors during a two-day workshop. Results: Thirty-five percent of the home visitors had or were experiencing abuse. Correlation results show that HVs reports of self- or friend-experienced IPV was moderately associated with working with more abused women in their career (r=.45, p\u3c.05) and having attended more professional trainings about IPV (r=.47, p\u3c.05). Regression analysis was conducted to examine whether HVs practices were predicted by their experiences of IPV. Qualitative data analysis indicates that fear and stress of intervening with women experiencing IPV are the greatest barriers for the HVs intervening in the community. Conclusion: This study suggests some potential barriers for nurses working with women experiencing IPV. A town/gown partnership can facilitate a reciprocal exchange of information and bring evidence based interventions from the gown partners to practice by working with town partners

Domestic Violence Within the Context of Home Visiting: Eight Lessons from the DOVE Intervention

The article looks at the lessons learned from the Domestic Violence Enhanced Visitation Intervention (DOVE) funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). It discusses the effectiveness of home visiting programs in reducing and preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Missouri. It determines protocols within home visiting programs that can be implemented in the state. In addition, the article discusses the need to avoid children\u27s exposure to IPV