TY - JOUR
T1 - Intimate partner violence among African American and African Caribbean women
T2 - Prevalence, risk factors, and the influence of cultural attitudes
AU - Stockman, Jamila K.
AU - Lucea, Marguerite B.
AU - Bolyard, Richelle
AU - Bertand, Desiree
AU - Callwood, Gloria B.
AU - Sharps, Phyllis W.
AU - Campbell, Doris W.
AU - Campbell, Jacquelyn C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Jamila K. Stockman et al.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background:Women 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. Objective: In 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. Design: Between 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. Results: Most of the 1,545 screened women were young, of low-income, and in a current intimate relationship. Lifetime prevalence of IPAwas 45% in St. Thomas, 38% in St. Croix, and 37% in Baltimore. Lifetime prevalence of IPVwas 38% in St. Thomas, 28% in St.Croix, and 30% in Baltimore. Past 2-year prevalence of IPVwas 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. Conclusions: Variance across sites for risk and protective factors emphasizes cultural considerations in subpopulations 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.
AB - Background:Women 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. Objective: In 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. Design: Between 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. Results: Most of the 1,545 screened women were young, of low-income, and in a current intimate relationship. Lifetime prevalence of IPAwas 45% in St. Thomas, 38% in St. Croix, and 37% in Baltimore. Lifetime prevalence of IPVwas 38% in St. Thomas, 28% in St.Croix, and 30% in Baltimore. Past 2-year prevalence of IPVwas 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. Conclusions: Variance across sites for risk and protective factors emphasizes cultural considerations in subpopulations 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.
KW - African American
KW - African Caribbean
KW - Cultural attitudes
KW - Intimate partner abuse
KW - Intimate partner violence
KW - Women
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84925294403&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3402/gha.v7.24772
DO - 10.3402/gha.v7.24772
M3 - Article
C2 - 25226418
AN - SCOPUS:84925294403
SN - 1654-9716
VL - 7
JO - Global health action
JF - Global health action
IS - 1
M1 - 24725
ER -