States' Abortion Laws Associated With Intimate Partner Violence-Related Homicide Of Women And Girls In The US, 2014-20.

Women who are pregnant or recently gave birth are significantly more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than nonpregnant, nonpostpartum women of reproductive age, implicating the risk of fatal violence conferred by pregnancy itself. The rapidly increasing passage of state legislation has restricted or banned access to abortion care across the US. We used the most recent and only source of population-based data to examine the association between state laws that restrict access to abortion and trends in intimate partner violence-related homicide among women and girls ages 10-44 during the period 2014-20. Using robust difference-in-differences ecologic modeling, we found that enforcement of each additional Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) law was associated with a 3.4 percent increase in the rate of intimate partner violence-related homicide in this population. We estimated that 24.3 intimate partner violence-related homicides of women and girls ages 10-44 were associated with TRAP laws implemented in the states and years included in this analysis. Assessment of policies that restrict access to abortion should consider their potential harm to reproductive-age women through the risk for violent death.

Assessing the durability of a cash transfer on physical intimate partner violence and sexual relationships among adolescent girls and young women in rural South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: Cash transfers can reduce adolescent girls and young women's (AGYW) risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). In our own cash transfer intervention (HPTN 068), AGYW who received a cash transfer were less likely to experience IPV than non-recipients, in part because the cash reduced their engagement in sexual partnerships. This mixed-methods study builds on earlier findings to examine whether the protective effects were sustained after the cash ended and when the cash transfer was the most impactful. METHODS: HPTN 068 was an experimental HIV prevention intervention trial. AGYW who participated completed 3 annual surveys during the intervention and an additional survey 2.5 years post-intervention. We used log-binomial regression models to assess the durability of the cash transfer on outcomes and included an interaction term in models to examine when effects were largest. We analyzed qualitative interviews conducted after the cash ended to contextualize findings. RESULTS: Post-intervention, the relative risk of physical IPV was lower among AGYW who received it compared to those who did not, but not statistically significant (RR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.62, 1.10). AGYW who received the cash transfer also had a lower relative risk of ever having had sex and of having any sexual partner in the last 12 months (RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.01; RR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.99, respectively). The protective effect of the cash transfer on physical IPV was highest in Years 1 and 2 (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.55-0.75 and RR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.55-0.77, respectively). Qualitative data corroborated the quantitative findings. CONCLUSION: The cash transfer reduced AGYW's risk of IPV, though effects were attenuated after the cash ended. Provision of cash during adolescence - a period when AGYW are highly susceptible to IPV and HIV - may empower them in their current relationship and yield long term health benefits.

Impacts of an abbreviated personal agency training with refugee women and their male partners on economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and mental health: a randomized controlled trial in Rwanda.

INTRODUCTION: We assessed the impact of a personal agency-based training for refugee women and their male partners on their economic and social empowerment, rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), and non-partner violence (NPV). METHODS: We conducted an individually randomized controlled trial with 1061 partnered women (aged 18-45) living in a refugee camp in Rwanda. Women received two days of training, and their partners received one day of training. The follow-up survey where all relevant outcomes were assessed was carried out at 6-9 months post-intervention. RESULTS: At follow up, women in the intervention arm were more likely to report partaking in income generating activities (aIRR 1.27 (1.04-1.54), p < 0.05) and skill learning (aIRR 1.59 (1.39-1.82), p < 0.001) and reported a reduction in experience of physical or sexual NPV in the past six months (aIRR 0.65 (0.39-1.07), p < 0.09). While improved, no statistically significant impacts were seen on physical or sexual IPV (aIRR 0.80 (0.58-1.09), p = 0.16), food insecurity (ß 0.98 (0.93 to 1.03), p = 0.396), or clean cookstove uptake (aIRR 0.95 (0.88 to 1.01), p = 0.113) in the past six months. We found statistically significant reduction in physical and sexual IPV amongst those experiencing IPV at baseline (aIRR 0.72 (0.50 to 1.02), p < 0.07). Small improvements in self-efficacy scores and our indicator of adapting to stress were seen in the intervention arm. Some challenges were also seen, such as higher prevalence of probable depression and/or anxiety (aIRR 1.79 (1.00-3.22), p = 0.05) and PTSD (aIRR 2.07 (1.10-3.91), p < 0.05) in the intervention arm compared to the control arm. CONCLUSION: Our findings echo previous research showing personal agency training can support economic well-being of women. We also find potentially promising impacts on gender-based violence. However, there is some evidence that integration of evidence-based mental health support is important when enhancing agency amongst conflict-affected populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT04081441 on 09/09/2019.

The impact of an economic empowerment intervention on intimate partner violence among women engaged in sex work in southern Uganda: A cluster randomized control trial.

Women engaged in sex work (WESW) are at heightened risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to women in the general population. This study examines the impact of an economic empowerment intervention on IPV among WESW in Southern Uganda. We used data from 542 WESW in Southern Uganda recruited from 19 HIV hotspots between June 2019 and March 2020. Eligible participants were 18+ years old, engaged in sex work-defined as vaginal or anal sexual intercourse in exchange for money, alcohol, or other goods, reported at least one episode of unprotected sexual intercourse in the past 30 days with a paying, casual, or regular sexual partner (spouse, main partner). We analyzed data collected at baseline, 6, and 12months of follow up. To examine the impact of the intervention on IPV, separate mixed-effects logistic regression models were run for each type of IPV (physical, emotional, and sexual) as experienced by participants in the last 90 days. Results show that the intervention was efficacious in reducing emotional and physical IPV as evidenced by a statistically significant intervention main effect for emotional IPV, χ2(1) = 5.96, p = 0.015, and a significant intervention-by-time interaction effect for physical IPV, χ2(2) = 13.19, p < 0.001. To qualify the intervention impact on physical IPV, pairwise comparisons showed that participants who received the intervention had significantly lower levels of physical IPV compared to those in the control group at six months (contrasts = -0.12 (95% CI: -0.22, -0.02), p = 0.011). The intervention, time, and intervention-by-time main effects for sexual IPV were not statistically significant. Our findings suggest economic empowerment interventions as viable strategies for reducing emotional IPV among WESW. However, it is also essential to understand the role of interventions in addressing other forms of IPV especially for key populations at high risk of violence, HIV, and STI. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03583541.

Investigating racial disparities in violence risk assessment using the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide-Version 3 (SARA-V3): Structured professional judgment ratings and recidivism among Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals.

Racial disparities in criminal justice outcomes are widely observed. In Canada, such disparities are particularly evident between Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons. The role of formal risk assessment in contributing to such disparities remains a topic of interest to many, but critical analysis has almost exclusively focused on actuarial or statistical risk measures. Recent research suggests that ratings from other common tools, based on the structured professional judgment model, can also demonstrate racial disparities. This study examined risk assessments produced using a widely used structured professional judgment tool, the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide-Version 3, among a sample of 190 individuals with histories of intimate partner violence. We examined the relationships among race, risk factors, summary risk ratings, and recidivism while also investigating whether participants' racial identity influenced the likelihood of incurring formal sanctions for reported violence. Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide-Version 3 risk factor totals and summary risk ratings were associated with new violent charges. Indigenous individuals were assessed as demonstrating more risk factors and were more likely to be rated as high risk, even after controlling for summed risk factor totals and prior convictions. They were also more likely to recidivate and to have a history of at least one reported act of violence that did not result in formal sanctions. The results suggest that structured professional judgment guidelines can produce disparate results across racial groups. The disparities observed may reflect genuine differences in the likelihood of recidivism, driven by psychologically meaningful risk factors which have origins in deep-rooted systemic and contextual factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Intimate Partner Violence and Help-seeking Behavior Among College Students Attending A Historically Black College and University.

This study provides critical evidence of the diversity of college students' experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV) and their informal and formal help-seeking behaviors at a historically Black college and university (HBCU). The study collected data on college students (N = 266) in fall 2021 using a one-site cross-sectional survey data. Findings revealed that many students at the HBCU reported IPV victimization (68.4%), IPV perpetration (68.0%), and coexperience of IPV victimization and perpetration (61.3%) in the past 12 months, but a few student survivors of IPV sought help from formal or informal support systems. Further, we found that IPV victimization types (e.g., physical, psychological, sexual abuse, and injury) with different severity levels (e.g., less severe or more severe) were differently related to the student survivor's help-seeking behaviors from formal and informal support systems. The findings of this study highlight the importance of supporting students attending HBCUs by addressing their perceptions of IPV help-seeking and coping with different types of IPV victimization via culturally tailored IPV prevention programs. HBCU campuses should promote physical health and mental health services for Black/African American survivors in HBCUs.

Prevalence and acceptability of psychological and/or economic intimate partner violence, and utilization of mental health services by its survivors in Lithuania.

BACKGROUND: Lithuania has one of the highest averages in the European Union when it comes to psychological and/or economic intimate partner violence (PE-IPV). IPV survivors are several times more likely to have mental health conditions than those without IPV experiences. The aim of this article is to study the prevalence, characteristics and attitudes of PE-IPV survivors in Lithuania, and the predictors of them accessing mental health services. METHODS: A cross-sectional study based on a national survey representative of the adult population. The survey was implemented by a third-party independent market research company employing an online survey panel. Logistic regression models were used in the analysis. RESULTS: Almost 50% of women in Lithuania experience PE-IPV. Females are significantly more likely to experience it than males. The vast majority of women find PE-IPV unacceptable; however, only one-third of survivors seek any type of help. Only one-tenth approach mental health services, with divorcees being at higher odds of doing so. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to explore predictors and contextual factors of why IPV survivors seek mental healthcare, or not. Policy implications include the need to eliminate IPV and mental health stigma; develop accessible mental health services and effective treatment approaches.

Disparities in Resource Availability, Psychological Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression Among Hispanic Women.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between the availability of resources, exposure to psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV), and depression in Hispanic women in South Florida. This secondary data analysis used cross-sectional baseline data from SEPA (Salud, Educación, Prevención y Autocuidado) III. SEPA III was a randomized controlled trial that tested the SEPA intervention with 320 cisgender, sexually active Hispanic women. Descriptive analysis, logistic, and multiple regressions were conducted. Lower sexual relationship power and attending religious services were associated with higher odds of P-IPV. Reporting a history of P-IPV in the last 3 months predicted depression scores and higher depression scores were associated with higher odds of experiencing P-IPV. Participants with higher depressive scores reported less education, increased emergency room utilization, and less sexual relationship power. P-IPV is highly prevalent among Hispanic women living in South Florida. The availability of personal and community resources can buffer the risk of P-IPV and its mental health consequences. Nurses can strengthen women's resources to prevent Hispanic women from exposure to P-IPV.

Stories of Backlash in Interviews With Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Sweden.

Despite high gender equality ratings, Sweden shows a high prevalence of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). Suggested factors underlying this apparent paradox include backlash effects against women's empowerment. This study explores stories of backlash in interviews with 23 IPVAW survivors in Sweden. Thematic analysis identified categories of narrative segments referring to phenomena provoking violence; the victims' resources, agency, breaking with gender norms and resistance, and the partner's feelings of subordination, while case-centered narrative analysis pointed to divergences between how these categories appear in the stories. The study underscores the complexity of links between gender (in)equality and IPVAW in Sweden.

The Nature, Patterns and Consequences of Technology-Facilitated Domestic Abuse: A Scoping Review.

Women are increasingly at risk of gender-based violence through technology and digital tools. Some digital devices and apps such as GPS location tracking, spyware, mobile phones and social media platforms have become new tools for perpetrators to monitor, harass and abuse victims. However, the nature and impacts of technology on intimate partner violence (IPV) have remained perplexing and ambiguous. Hence, this scoping review was conducted to explore the nature, patterns and consequences of technology-facilitated domestic abuse (TFDA). All journal articles and grey literature exploring the TFDA phenomenon, its nature and impacts on victims and services providers were scanned, and twenty-two papers were included in this scoping review. Overall, findings showed that digital devices, online applications and social media accounts facilitated IPV and exacerbated the consequences of abuse. Yet, many victims and frontline workers found understanding the nature and impacts of TFDA difficult. They faced many challenges addressing this form of abuse. Thus, several strategies are needed to adequately tackle TFDA, including conducting further research on the issue, developing appropriate policy and addressing gender inequality in the online environment.

Intimate Partner Violence, Economic Insecurity, and Health Outcomes Among American Indian and Alaska Native Men and Women: Findings From a National Sample.

Limited data are available on experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) and health outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. This study explores the relationship between IPV and SV, food insecurity, housing insecurity, healthcare access, and self-reported physical and mental health status in a nationally representative sample of AIAN adults (N = 3,634). IPV and SV were associated with poorer physical and mental health at the bivariate level, but not in multivariate analyses. Economic inequalities are a salient predictor of health and may be compounded by demographic and geographic contexts.

Características da violência por parceiro íntimo em Mato Grosso do Sul, 2009-2018 / Características de la violencia por compañero íntimo en Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, 2009-2018 / Characteristics of intimate partner violence in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, 2009-2018

Objective: to analyze intimate partner violence (IPV) in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, with emphasis on physical violence. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study applying multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to records retrieved from the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System covering the period from 2009 to 2018. Results: of the 9,950 notifications registered, 91.8% were notifications of physical violence; higher rates were found in young females (189.2/100,000), who had up to incomplete high school education (139.6/100,000), had a partner (202.7/100,000), were Indigenous (488.8/100,000), and were living on the border with other countries (223,1/100,000); the aggressors were mostly current partners (76.9%) and male (95.5%); MCA revealed that physical violence was predominant at weekends, at night, with use of physical force and when the aggressor was under the influence of alcohol; most IPV did not occur at home, but was committed by current partners and was not a repeated event. Conclusion: IPV stood out among young victims, those who had a partner, low education, Indigenous women and occurred notably in the border region.

Objetivo: analizar la violencia por compañero íntimo (VPI) en Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, con énfasis en la violencia física. Métodos: estudio transversal, con análisis de correspondencia (AC) de registros en el Sistema de Información de Agravamientos de Notificación, entre 2009 y 2018. Resultados: de las 9.950 notificaciones registradas, el 91,8% era de violencia física; las mayores tasas fueron encontradas en mujeres jóvenes (189,2/100.000), con escolaridad hasta secundaria completa (139,6/100.000), con pareja (202,7/100.000), indígenas (488.8/100,000) y residentes en la frontera (223,1/100.000); los agresores fueron, en su mayoría, de compañeros actuales (76,9%) y hombres (95,5%); sobre la violencia física, la AC reveló predominio de los fines de semana, en la noche, con uso de fuerza física y el agresor bajo los efectos de alcohol; sin embargo, ocurrieron fuera de la residencia, cometidos por compañeros actuales y no constituyeron hechos de repetición. Conclusión: se destacaron víctimas jóvenes, con pareja, baja escolaridad, mujeres indígenas y expresivos sucesos en la región fronteriza.

Objetivo: analisar a violência por parceiros íntimos (VPI) em Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, com destaque para violência física. Métodos: estudo transversal, com análise de correspondências (AC) dos registros no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, em 2009-2018. Resultados: de 9.950 notificações registradas, 91,8% foram de violência física; maiores taxas foram encontradas em jovens do sexo feminino (189,2/100 mil), com escolaridade até o ensino médio incompleto (139,6/100 mil), com companheiro (202,7/100 mil), indígenas (488,8/100 mil) e residentes na fronteira (223,1/100 mil); os agressores eram majoritariamente parceiros atuais (76,9%) e homens (95,5%); sobre a violência física, a AC revelou predominância em fins de semana, à noite, com utilização de força corporal e agressor sob efeito de álcool; entretanto, ocorreu principalmente fora da residência, cometida por parceiro atual e não constituiu evento de repetição. Conclusão: destacaram-se vítimas jovens, com companheiro, baixa escolaridade, mulheres indígenas e ocorrência expressiva em região de fronteira.

Violence in the Great Recession.

Substantial evidence suggests that economic hardship causes violence. However, a large majority of this research relies on observational studies that use traditional violence surveillance systems that suffer from selection bias and over-represent vulnerable populations, such as people of color. To overcome limitations of prior work, we employed a quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of the Great Recession on explicit violence diagnoses (injuries identified to be caused by a violent event) and proxy violence diagnoses (injuries highly correlated with violence) for child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and their combination. We used Minnesota hospital data (2004-2014), conducting a difference-in-differences analysis at the county level (n = 86) using linear regression to compare changes in violence rates from before the recession (2004-2007) to after the recession (2008-2014) in counties most affected by the recession, versus changes over the same time period in counties less affected by the recession. The findings suggested that the Great Recession had little or no impact on explicitly identified violence; however, it affected proxy-identified violence. Counties that were more highly affected by the Great Recession saw a greater increase in the average rate of proxy-identified child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence, and combined violence when compared with less-affected counties.

Global, regional, and national prevalence estimates of physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence against women in 2018.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence against women is a global public health problem with many short-term and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of women and their children. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for its elimination in target 5.2. To monitor governments' progress towards SDG target 5.2, this study aimed to provide global, regional, and country baseline estimates of physical or sexual, or both, violence against women by male intimate partners. METHODS: This study developed global, regional, and country estimates, based on data from the WHO Global Database on Prevalence of Violence Against Women. These data were identified through a systematic literature review searching MEDLINE, Global Health, Embase, Social Policy, and Web of Science, and comprehensive searches of national statistics and other websites. A country consultation process identified additional studies. Included studies were conducted between 2000 and 2018, representative at the national or sub-national level, included women aged 15 years or older, and used act-based measures of physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence. Non-population-based data, including administrative data, studies not generalisable to the whole population, studies with outcomes that only provided the combined prevalence of physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence with other forms of violence, and studies with insufficient data to allow extrapolation or imputation were excluded. We developed a Bayesian multilevel model to jointly estimate lifetime and past year intimate partner violence by age, year, and country. This framework adjusted for heterogeneous age groups and differences in outcome definition, and weighted surveys depending on whether they were nationally or sub-nationally representative. This study is registered with PROSPERO (number CRD42017054100). FINDINGS: The database comprises 366 eligible studies, capturing the responses of 2 million women. Data were obtained from 161 countries and areas, covering 90% of the global population of women and girls (15 years or older). Globally, 27% (uncertainty interval [UI] 23-31%) of ever-partnered women aged 15-49 years are estimated to have experienced physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence in their lifetime, with 13% (10-16%) experiencing it in the past year before they were surveyed. This violence starts early, affecting adolescent girls and young women, with 24% (UI 21-28%) of women aged 15-19 years and 26% (23-30%) of women aged 19-24 years having already experienced this violence at least once since the age of 15 years. Regional variations exist, with low-income countries reporting higher lifetime and, even more pronouncedly, higher past year prevalence compared with high-income countries. INTERPRETATION: These findings show that intimate partner violence against women was already highly prevalent across the globe before the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments are not on track to meet the SDG targets on the elimination of violence against women and girls, despite robust evidence that intimate partner violence can be prevented. There is an urgent need to invest in effective multisectoral interventions, strengthen the public health response to intimate partner violence, and ensure it is addressed in post-COVID-19 reconstruction efforts. FUNDING: UK Department for International Development through the UN Women-WHO Joint Programme on Strengthening Violence against Women Data, and UNDP-UN Population Fund-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction, a cosponsored programme executed by WHO.

Dating violence and associated factors among male and female adolescents in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Dating Violence (DV) is a public health problem that is on the rise. In this paper, we aim to analyse different factors associated with DV victimization among female and male adolescents in Spain, considering socioeconomic circumstances, sexual orientation and the presence of different attitudes and experiences related to violence. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from a convenience sample of 640 ever-partnered adolescents aged 13 to 17 at schools in the cities of Alicante (n = 359, 50.1% girls) and Terrassa (n = 281, 51.9%) in the context of an educational intervention to promote healthy relationships. We calculated the prevalence of different forms of DV (physical, sexual and control and fear) and carried out multivariate regression models by sex. RESULTS: 5.5% of girls and 8.7% of boys declared having suffered lifetime physical and/or sexual violence, while 22% of girls and 20.5% of boys reported control and/or fear victimization. The likelihood of DV was higher among migrants and those with foreign-born parents (aPR girls = 2.1 CI95%: 1.1-3.9; aPR boys = 1.9: CI95%: 1.0-3.6); prior experiences of abuse (aPR girls = 1.6; CI95%: 1.0-2.6; aPR boys = 1.7; CI95%: 1.1-2.6); and those who showed higher levels of machismo (aPR girls = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0-1.1; aPR boys = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0-1.1). In girls, DV increased among those who reported lesbian/bisexual orientation and poor relationship with teachers. CONCLUSIONS: DV is socially patterned and increases among LGB adolescents (especially in the case of girls), migrants, and those with foreign-born parents, and adolescents who reported prior experiences of violence in childhood. Future DV prevention programs should consider social inequalities in the likelihood of DV and by reinforcing adolescents' abilities to recognize social support sources and reject machismo and violence.

Socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics of male and female perpetrators in intimate partner homicide: A case-control study from Region Västra Götaland, Sweden.

Risk factor studies on male-perpetrated intimate partner homicide (IPH) are often compared with studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) or non-partner homicide perpetrators. This not only excludes female perpetrators, but also fails to take socio-demographic and psychosocial differences between perpetrators and the general population into consideration. The aim of this study was to examine male- and female-perpetrated IPH cases, and to compare socio-demographic factors in IPH perpetrators and in matched controls from the general population. Data were retrieved from preliminary inquiries, court records and national registers for 48 men and 10 women, who were perpetrators of IPH committed in 2000-2016 and residing in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden. The control group consisted of 480 men and 100 women matched for age, sex and residence parish. Logistic regression, yielding odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), was performed for male perpetrators and male controls to investigate associations for selected socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics. This was not performed for females due to the small sample size. Female perpetrators were convicted of murder to a lesser extent than male perpetrators. No woman was sentenced to life imprisonment while five men were. Jealousy and separation were the most common motivational factors for male perpetration while the predominant factor for female perpetrators was subjection to IPV. Statistically significant differences were found between male perpetrators and male controls in unemployment rate (n = 47.9%/20.6%; OR 4.4; 95% CI 2.2-8.6), receiving benefits (n = 20.8%/4.8%; OR 5.2; 95% CI 2.3-11.7) and annual disposable income (n = 43.8%/23.3% low income; OR 5.2; 95% CI 1.9-14.2) one year prior to the crime. Female IPH perpetrators were less educated than female controls (≤ 9-year education 30%/12%) and were more often unemployed (70%/23%) one year before the crime. Male and female IPH perpetrators were socio-economically disadvantaged, compared with controls from the general population.

Alcohol use during pregnancy: prevalence and patterns in selected Buffalo City areas, South Africa.

The high rate of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which results from alcohol consumption during pregnancy, is of concern in South Africa. The aims of this research were to establish the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with alcohol use amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in two former township areas of Buffalo City, South Africa. A survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire that included socio-demographic questions, and the Alcohol Use Test (AUDIT). The questionnaire was administered in English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa by healthcare providers trained in its administration. Consecutive sampling was used, with all willing women presenting at public clinics offering antenatal care in the two townships being invited to participate. Of the 18 clinics operating in the two townships, 16 were willing to participate, resulting in a sample of 1028 women over a nine-month period. Data were analysed in Medcalc using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, independent samples t-test and a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Two-thirds of the sample did not drink alcohol, but results showed high levels of risky alcohol use: 20.1% on the total AUDIT scale, and 16.8% on the AUDIT-C scale. The following variables were found to be significantly associated with risky drinking: age; race; report of intimate partner violence (IPV); and other regular drinker in the home. Employment status, education status, relationship status, parity and gestation were not associated with risky drinking. Interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use during pregnancy should address: drinking youth cultures; drinking norms within the home; and intimate partner violence. Future studies should include additional mental and physical health variables.

Common mental disorders and intimate partner violence against pregnant women living with HIV in Cameroon: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Women living with HIV are at increased risk of poor mental health and intimate partner violence (IPV). Mental health disorders have been consistently associated with suboptimal HIV-related outcomes. Little is known about the prevalence or correlates of mental health disorders among pregnant women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: This study assessed the prevalence of probable common mental disorders (CMD), i.e., depressive or anxiety disorders, and the relationship between probable CMD and recent IPV among pregnant women living with HIV in Cameroon. The sample included 230 pregnant women living with HIV aged > 18 enrolled in care at 10 HIV clinics in Cameroon. Probable CMD was assessed with the WHO Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between IPV and probable CMD. RESULTS: Almost half (42%) of participants had probable CMD using a 7/8 cut-off of the SRQ-20. Emotional, physical, and sexual IPV were reported by 44, 37, and 31% of respondents, respectively. In multivariable regression analyses, all forms of IPV assessed were significantly associated with greater odds of probable CMD. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women living with HIV in Cameroon had a high prevalence of probable CMD and IPV. Screening and services to address IPV and mental health are urgently needed for this population. Integrated interventions to both prevent and screen and address IPV and probable CMD should be developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Disparities in potential years of life lost due to intimate partner violence: Data from 16 states for 2006-2015.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence can lead to deaths of one or both partners and others (i.e., corollary victims). Prior studies do not enumerate the societal cost of intimate partner violence-related fatalities, exclude corollary victims from most analyses, and do not describe groups who bear the highest societal costs from intimate partner violence. OBJECTIVE: We examine racial/ethnic and gender-based disparities in potential years of life lost (PYLL) among intimate partners and corollary victims of intimate partner violence-related mortality. METHODS: We used 16 US states' 2006-2015 National Violent Death Reporting System data to estimate PYLL among intimate partners (n = 6,282) and corollary victims (n = 1,634) by victims' race/ethnicity and sex. We describe fatalities by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and victim-suspect relationships and used hierarchical linear models to examine PYLL per death differences by victims' sex and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Nearly 290,000 years of potential life were lost by partner and corollary victims as a result of IPV in 16 states during the decade of study. Most partner victims were female (59%); most corollary victims were male (76%). Female intimate partners died 5.1 years earlier (95% CI: 4.4., 5.9) than males, and female corollary victims died 3.6 years (1.9, 5.5) earlier than males. Racial/ethnic minorities died nine or more years earlier than their White counterparts. White males had the lowest PYLL per death of all sex/race groups. IMPLICATIONS: Intimate partner violence-related fatalities exact a high societal cost, and the burden of that cost is disproportionately high among racial/ethnic minorities. Future interventions targeting specific sex and race/ethnic groups might help reduce disparities in intimate partner violence burden.