Sleep Disturbance Partially Mediates the Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence and Physical/Mental Health in Women and Men

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide health concern and an important risk factor for poor mental/physical health in both women and men. Little is known about whether IPV leads to sleep disturbance. However, sleep problems may be common in the context of IPV and may mediate relationships with mental/physical health. Data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used ( N = 34,975). IPV was assessed in female and male participants for any history of being threatened by, physically hurt by, or forced to have sex with an intimate partner (THREAT, HURT, and SEX, respectively), and, further, as being forced to have sex with or physically injured by an intimate partner within the past year (SEXyr and HURTyr, respectively). These survey items were coded yes/no. Sleep disturbance was assessed as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much at least 6 of the last 14 days. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, race, income, education, and physical/mental health, assessed whether IPV predicted sleep disturbance. Sobel–Goodman tests assessed whether relationships between IPV and physical/mental health were partially mediated by sleep disturbance. All IPV variables were associated with sleep disturbance, even after adjusting for the effects of age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, employment, marital status, physical health and mental health. THREAT was associated with sleep disturbance (odds ratio [OR] = 2.798, p < .0001), as was HURT (OR = 2.683, p < .0001), SEX (OR = 3.237, p < .0001), SEXyr (OR = 7.741, p < .0001), and HURTyr (OR = 7.497, p < .0001). In mediation analyses, all IPV variables were associated with mental health ( p < .0001), and all were associated with physical health ( p < .007) except SEXyr. Sleep disturbance partially mediated all relationships (Sobel p < .0005 for all tests). Mediation was around 30%, ranging from 18% (HURTyr and mental health) to 41% (HURT and physical health). IPV was strongly associated with current sleep disturbance above the effect of demographics and overall mental/physical health, even if the IPV happened in the past. Furthermore, sleep disturbance partially mediates the relationship between IPV and mental/physical health. Sleep interventions may potentially mitigate negative effects of IPV.

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A Meta-Analysis of Latinx Acculturation and Intimate Partner Violence

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838018801327 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 844-854 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Miriam J. Alvarez ◽

Sandra Oviedo Ramirez ◽

Gabriel Frietze ◽

Craig Field ◽

Michael A. Zárate

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Male Partner ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Concern ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Subgroup Analyses ◽

The Relationship

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern that affects many Latinx couples. The present study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively assess acculturation as a predictor of IPV among Latinxs and subgroup analyses to evaluate the effect size by gender and type of acculturation measure. Method: The meta-analysis implemented the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines to retrieve studies assessing the relationship between acculturation and intimate partner victimization among foreign-born and U.S.-born Latinx adults. A fixed effects model (FEM) and a random effects model (REM) were employed. Additional subgroup analyses examined the strength of the relationship by gender and type of acculturation measure. Results: The meta-analysis included 27 independent effect sizes across 21 studies. An REM yielded a weighted average correlation of .11 (95% confidence interval [.02, .20]). The strength of the correlation differed by scale and ranged from −.003 to .47. For both men and women, higher acculturation was associated with increased IPV. Conclusions: Our results yielded three important findings: (1) the overall effect of acculturation on IPV is relatively small, (2) acculturation differentially influences male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence, and (3) the strength of the correlation between acculturation and IPV differs by scale. This body of work provides evidence for the effect of acculturation on IPV, with potential implications for interventions targeting Latinxs.

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Physical and Emotional Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Health in the First Year After Childbirth: An Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520934426 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052093442

Author(s):

Kelly M. FitzPatrick ◽

Stephanie Brown ◽

Kelsey Hegarty ◽

Fiona Mensah ◽

Deirdre Gartland

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Short Form ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Concern ◽

Physical Factors ◽

Care Providers ◽

Pregnancy Cohort ◽

Different Types

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can comprise physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and is a widespread public health concern. Despite increasing recognition that women experience different types of IPV, the majority of research has focused on physical IPV. The present study aims to examine associations between different types of IPV (physical, emotional, physical, and emotional) and women’s mental, physical, and sexual health by analyzing longitudinal data from a prospective pregnancy cohort of 1,507 first-time mothers in Melbourne, Australia. Questionnaires included validated measures of physical and mental health (Short Form Health Survey, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and IPV (Composite Abuse Scale). Emotional IPV alone was the most commonly reported type of IPV ( n = 128, 9.5%), followed by both physical and emotional IPV ( n = 76, 5.7%), and then physical IPV alone ( n = 30, 2.2%). Women reporting emotional IPV or physical and emotional IPV had increased odds of poor health compared with women reporting no IPV. Experience of physical and emotional IPV was most strongly associated with mental health issues, including depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.9, 7.1]) and self-reported anxiety (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI = [1.9, 4.4]). Experience of emotional IPV alone was associated with poor mental health as well as physical factors, including poor general physical health (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI = [1.2, 3.1]), and pain during sex (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI = [1.2, 2.7]). Increased odds of poor body image were also observed for women reporting emotional IPV alone and physical and emotional IPV. These findings highlight the need for greater awareness of the diversity in women’s experiences of IPV among health care providers. This includes understanding the prevalence of emotional IPV among new mothers, and the range of health problems that are more common for women experiencing IPV.

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Intimate Partner Violence as a Risk Factor for Mental Health Problems in South Africa

Key Issues in Mental Health - Violence against Women and Mental Health ◽

10.1159/000342013 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 65-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Rachel Jewkes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Problems

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The relationship between parent mental health and intimate partner violence on adolescent behavior, stigma and school attendance in families in rural Democratic Republic of Congo

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2018.10 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nancy Glass ◽

Anjalee Kohli ◽

Pamela J. Surkan ◽

Mitma Mpanano Remy ◽

Nancy Perrin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

School Attendance ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Parent Mental Health ◽

The Relationship

Background.Prolonged conflict and economic instability challenge the existing support networks in families and society places significant stress on both adults and adolescents. Exploring individual, family and social factors that increase the likelihood of or protect adolescents from negative outcomes are important to the development of evidence-based prevention and response programing in global settings.Objective.Examine the relationship between parent mental health and experience/perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) and adolescent behaviors, stigma, and school attendance. The relationship is further examined for differences by gender.Methods.Secondary analysis of data from an ongoing comparative effectiveness trial of a productive asset transfer program in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Results.Three hundred and eighty-eight adolescent and parent dyads were included in the analysis. The analysis demonstrated that parent mental health and IPV can have a negative impact their children's well-being and the impact is different for boys and girls, likely linked to gender roles and responsibilities in the home and community. Social relationships of adolescents, as reported through experienced stigma, were negatively impacted for both boys and girls. Parent report of symptoms of PTSD and depression had a stronger negative effect on girls’ outcomes, including experienced stigma, externalizing behaviors, and missed days of school than boys. For adolescent boys, their parent's report of IPV victimization/perpetration was associated with more negative behaviors at the 8-month follow-up assessment.Conclusion.The findings reinforce the critical importance of interventions that engage parents and their children in activities that advance health and improve relationships within the family.

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Use and Experience of Recent Intimate Partner Violence Among Women Veterans Who Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

Partner Abuse ◽

10.1891/1946-6560.8.3.251 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 251-271 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Suzannah K. Creech ◽

Alexandra Macdonald ◽

Casey Taft

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Women Veterans ◽

Intimate Relationship ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Relationship Functioning ◽

Significant Variance ◽

The Past

Background: Women veterans may be at high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), which increases susceptibility for negative physical and mental health. IPV experiences and use have not previously been studied among the newest generation of women veterans who deployed to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Method: This study examined the correlates of IPV in a sample of 102 women veterans who had deployed to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan and who were in current intimate relationships. Using an anonymous web-based survey, participants completed measures of combat and sexual harassment exposure during deployment, measures of mental health and substance abuse, intimate relationship satisfaction, and recent IPV. Results: Results indicated that 63% of the sample reported experiencing any IPV in the past 6 months, whereas 73% reported using IPV toward their partner in the past 6 months. Linear regressions indicated intimate relationship satisfaction explained significant variance in recent psychological IPV, whereas alcohol misuse and recent psychological IPV experiences explained significant variance in physical IPV experiences and use and sexual IPV experiences. Conclusion: Women veterans in this study reported high levels of recent IPV experiences as well as the use of IPV. Results suggest the need to assess for both IPV use and IPV experiences in medical settings, and that for some women veterans, IPV prevention that focuses on healthy relationship functioning may be beneficial.

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Alcohol use and intimate partner violence among women and their partners in sub-Saharan Africa

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2017.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M. C. Greene ◽

J. C. Kane ◽

W. A. Tol

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Male Partner ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Relationship

Background:Alcohol use is a well-documented risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV); however, the majority of research comes from high-income countries.Methods:Using nationally representative data from 86 024 women that participated in the Demographic and Health Surveys, we evaluated the relationship between male partner alcohol use and experiencing IPV in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using multilevel mixed-effects models, we calculated the within-country, between-country, and contextual effects of alcohol use on IPV.Results:Prevalence of partner alcohol use and IPV ranged substantially across countries (3–62 and 11–60%, respectively). Partner alcohol use was associated with a significant increase in the odds of reporting IPV for all 14 countries included in this analysis. Furthermore, the relationship between alcohol use and IPV, although largely explained by partner alcohol use, was also attributable to overall prevalence of alcohol use in a given country. The partner alcohol use–IPV relationship was moderated by socioeconomic status (SES): among women with a partner who used alcohol those with lower SES had higher odds of experiencing IPV than women with higher SES.Conclusions:Results of this study suggest that partner alcohol use is a robust correlate of IPV in SSA; however, drinking norms may independently relate to IPV and confound the relationship between partner alcohol use and IPV. These findings motivate future research employing experimental and longitudinal designs to examine alcohol use as a modifiable risk factor of IPV and as a novel target for treatment and prevention research to reduce IPV in SSA.

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Female Intimate Partner Violence Victims and Labor Force Participation

Partner Abuse ◽

10.1891/1946-6560.2.2.147 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 147-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Carla VandeWeerd, ◽

Martha L. Coulter, ◽

Melissa C. Mercado-Crespo,

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Parenting Stress ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Employment Success ◽

The Past ◽

Mediating Factors

Although a non-gender-specific problem, intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionately affects women on welfare, with an estimated prevalence two to three times larger than the national prevalence rates of IPV for all women. This article examines the effects of IPV on women leaving welfare for employment in a purposive sample of 411 women in Florida who participated or were actively participating in the 2000–2002 Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency (WAGES) program. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, their IPV experiences, and mediating factors (i.e., social support, employer support, physical and mental health, parenting stress, and employment success) were collected via quantitative telephone interviews. Logistic regression analyses found that employment success among welfare-recipient women who are currently in a relationship is best predicted by a short-term impact of having experienced IPV before the past 12 months (OR = 2.17). Linear regression analyses found that having suitable housing predicted lower parenting stress (F = 3.20, p ≤ .05) and better physical health (F = 4.30, p ≤ .05) and social support (F = 1.90, p ≤ .001) outcomes. In addition, suffering from IPV within the past 12 months predicted worse mental health (F = −7.74, p ≤ .001) and lower parenting stress outcomes (F = −3.99, p ≤ .001). This study contributes to understanding the complexity of mediating factors affecting IPV’s impact on employment success of women leaving welfare.

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Dyadic Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence Among Male Couples in Three U.S. Cities

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988318774243 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1039-1047 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nicolas A Suarez ◽

Matthew J Mimiaga ◽

Robert Garofalo ◽

Emily Brown ◽

Anna Marie Bratcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Internalized Homophobia ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

The Body ◽

Health Concern ◽

Demographic Information ◽

Male Couples ◽

Sexual Identities ◽

The Past

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and pressing public health concern that affects people of all gender and sexual identities. Though studies have identified that male couples may experience IPV at rates as high as or higher than women in heterosexual partnerships, the body of literature addressing this population is still nascent. This study recruited 160 male–male couples in Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago to independently complete individual surveys measuring demographic information, partner violence experience and perpetration, and individual and relationship characteristics that may shape the experience of violence. Forty-six percent of respondents reported experiencing IPV in the past year. Internalized homophobia significantly increased the risk for reporting experiencing, perpetrating, or both for any type of IPV. This study is the first to independently gather data on IPV from both members of male dyads and indicates an association between internalized homophobia and risk for IPV among male couples. The results highlight the unique experiences of IPV in male–male couples and call for further research and programmatic attention to address the exorbitant levels of IPV experienced within some of these partnerships.

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Intimate partner violence: A key correlate of women’s physical and mental health in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

10.31219/osf.io/hs2dv ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Samantha Winter ◽

Lena Moraa Obara ◽

Sarah McMahon

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Informal Settlements ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Women's Experiences ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Globally, one billion people live in informal settlements, and that number is expected to triple by 2050. Studies suggests that health in informal settlements is a serious and growing concern, yet there is a paucity of research focused on health outcomes and the correlates of health in these settlements. Studies cite individual, environmental and social correlates to health in informal settlements, but they often lack empirical evidence. In particular, research suggests that high rates of violence against women (VAW) in informal settlements may be associated with detrimental effects on women’s health, but few studies have investigated this link. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by empirically exploring associations between women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their physical and mental health. Data for this study were collected in August 2018 in Mathare Valley Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 550 randomly-selected women participated in surveys; however, analyses for this study were run on a subpopulation of the women (n=361). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to investigate the link between psychological, sexual, and emotional IPV and women’s mental and physical health. Results suggest that while some socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental variables were significantly associated with women’s mental and physical health outcomes, all types of IPV emerged key correlates in this context. In particular, women’s experiences of IPV were associated with lower odds of normal-high physical health component scores (based on SF-36); higher odds of gynecological and reproductive health issues, psychological distress (based on K-10), depression, suicidality, and substance use. Findings from this study suggest that policies and interventions focused on prevention and response to VAW in informal settlements may make critical contributions to improving health for women in these rapidly growing settlements.

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