The association between length of stay in Canada and intimate partner violence among immigrant women.

Abstract

We examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among recent (0-9 years) and nonrecent (>/= 10 years) immigrant women in Canada to determine whether differences in IPV were associated with length of stay in Canada. We analyzed data from the 1999 General Social Survey, a national cross-sectional telephone survey. We used weighted logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of length of stay in Canada on IPV and controlled for socio-cultural and other factors associated with IPV. The crude prevalence of IPV was similar among recent and nonrecent immigrant women. However, after adjustment, the risk for IPV was significantly lower among recent immigrant women compared with nonrecent immigrant women. Country of origin, age, marital status, and having an activity limitation (physical/mental disability or health problem) also were associated with a higher risk for IPV. Our findings have important implications for both prevention and detection of IPV among immigrant women.