Frequency of Intimate Partner Violence among an Urban Emergency Department Sample: A Multilevel Analysis.

Carol B Cunradi,Harrison J Alter,Raul Caetano,William R Ponicki

doi:10.3390/ijerph18010222

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health problem. Within the U.S., urban emergency department (ED) patients have elevated prevalence of IPV, substance use, and other social problems compared to those in the general household population. Using a social-ecological framework, this cross-sectional study analyzes the extent to which individual, household, and neighborhood factors are associated with the frequency of IPV among a socially disadvantaged sample of urban ED patients. Confidential survey interviews were conducted with 1037 married/partnered study participants (46% male; 50% Hispanic; 29% African American) at a public safety-net hospital. Gender-stratified multilevel Tobit regression models were estimated for frequency of past-year physical IPV (perpetration and victimization) and frequency of severe IPV. Approximately 23% of participants reported IPV. Among men and women, impulsivity, adverse childhood experiences, substance use, and their spouse/partner’s hazardous drinking were associated with IPV frequency. Additionally, household food insufficiency, being fired or laid off from their job, perceived neighborhood disorder, and neighborhood demographic characteristics were associated with IPV frequency among women. Similar patterns were observed in models of severe IPV frequency. IPV prevention strategies implemented in urban ED settings should address the individual, household, and neighborhood risk factors that are linked with partner aggression among socially disadvantaged couples.

Highlights

In the U.S, prior research shows that urban emergency department (ED) patients have elevated rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to those in the general household population [1,2,3,4]
Given the dearth of ED-based studies that have examined how neighborhood social disadvantage may be linked to IPV, the aim of this study is to analyze the extent that individual, household, and neighborhood-related factors are associated with frequency of IPV and severe IPV among a sample of married/partnered male and female urban ED
Participants who reported their race/ethnicity as Black/African American had greater frequency of any IPV (b = 23.050; p < 0.01) compared to those who identified as Hispanic

Summary

Introduction

In the U.S, prior research shows that urban emergency department (ED) patients have elevated rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to those in the general household population [1,2,3,4]. An analysis of Wave II data from the National. Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol-Related Conditions (NESARC), a nationally representative survey of U.S adults, found that past-year IPV perpetration was reported by 4.0%. IPV victimization was reported by 5.6% of men and 5.0%. IPV prevalence based on urban ED studies is consistently higher. A study of 712 non-urgent male ED patients found that 37% disclosed. IPV involvement: 20% reported victimization only, 6% reported perpetration only, and. 11% reported bidirectional/reciprocal IPV [3].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion