RESUMEN

Emotional intimacy is key to intimate partner relationship quality and satisfaction. For sexual minority men, queer and feminist theorists consistently link emotional intimacy to diverse sexual practices and partnership dynamics formulated within the relationship. This Photovoice study adds to those insights by drawing on individual photovoice interviews with 16 sexual minority men to describe participant's experiences of, and strategies for emotional intimacy in their intimate relationships. Analysis revealed three distinct yet entwined themes: (i) embracing vulnerabilities to drive self-acceptance; (ii) building relationality with partners; and (iii) securing connections with family, friends and community. By embracing vulnerabilities to drive self-acceptance, participants spoke to embodied courage and autonomy as key components for addressing wide-ranging emotional intimacy challenges in their relationships. In theme two, building relationality with partners, participants described how empathy, trust and reciprocity underpinned collaborative work to foster emotional intimacy. Lastly, in securing connections with family, friends and community, acceptance and inclusion were key to participants' sense of belonging and legitimacy which aided their emotional intimacy with partners. The findings provide guidance for tailored programmatic efforts to assist sexual minority men build intimate relationships.

RESUMEN

Background: Young men who have sex with men and young transgender women (YMSM-YTW) use online spaces to meet sexual partners with increasing regularity, and research shows that experiences of racism online mimics the real world. Objective: We analyzed differences by race and ethnicity in web-based and mobile apps used to meet sexual partners as reported by Chicago-based YMSM-YTW in 2016-2017. Methods: A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 643 YMSM-YTW aged 16-29 years were asked to name websites or mobile apps used to seek a sexual partner in the prior 6 months, as well as provide information about sexual partnerships from the same period. We used logistic regression to assess the adjusted association of race and ethnicity with (1) use of any website or mobile apps to find a sexual partner, (2) use of a "social network" to find a sexual partner compared to websites or mobile apps predominantly used for dating or hookups, (3) use of specific websites or mobile apps, and (4) reporting successfully meeting a sexual partner online among website or mobile app users. Results: While most YMSM-YTW (454/643, 70.6%) used websites or mobile apps to find sexual partners, we found that Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW were significantly less likely to report doing so (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.74, 95% CI 1.10-2.76). Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW were more likely to have used a social network site to find a sexual partner (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: aOR 0.20, 95% CI 0.11-0.37), though this was only reported by one-third (149/454, 32.8%) of all app-using participants. Individual apps used varied by race and ethnicity, with Grindr, Tinder, and Scruff being more common among White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (93/123, 75.6%; 72/123, 58.5%; and 30/123, 24.4%, respectively) than among Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (65/178, 36.5%; 25/178, 14%; and 4/178, 2.2%, respectively) and Jack'd and Facebook being more common among Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (105/178, 59% and 64/178, 36%, respectively) than among White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (6/123, 4.9% and 8/123, 6.5%, respectively). Finally, we found that while half (230/454, 50.7%) of YMSM-YTW app users reported successfully meeting a new sexual partner on an app, Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW app users were less likely to have done so than White non-Hispanic app users (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: aOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.50-4.05). Conclusions: We found that Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW engaged with websites or mobile apps and found sexual partners systematically differently than White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW. Our findings give a deeper understanding of how racial and ethnic sexual mixing patterns arise and have implications for the spread of sexually transmitted infections among Chicago's YMSM-YTW.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Little is known about Voluntary Assisted Partner Notification (VAPN) in groups in sub-Saharan Africa that experience marginalisation, and whether its use is suitable for referral to HIV care pathways. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with purposively selected medical and health professionals (N = 15) regarding their perspectives and experiences with VAPN policy and its implementation. Data were analysed following a Reflexive Thematic Analysis approach. Respondents highlighted the flexibility in VAPN policy implementation and described adjustments made by health workers. Women were seen as vulnerable and lacked access to support against gender-based violence. Men who have sex with men could face exclusion from important social networks. Age-appropriate VAPN assistance was also considered unavailable for sexually active children. Embedding understandings of identity, belonging, and safety into VAPN could address individual priorities and needs. Community support networks, tailored care for children, and family-orientated approaches to HIV notification may overcome issues relating to vulnerability and marginalisation.

A qualitative analysis of voluntary assisted partner notificationLittle is known about Voluntary Assisted Partner Notification (VAPN) in groups in sub-Saharan Africa that experience marginalisation. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with purposively selected medical and health professionals (N = 15) regarding their perspectives and experiences with VAPN policy and implementation. Data were analysed following a Reflexive Thematic Analysis approach. Respondents highlighted flexibility in VAPN policy implementation and described adjustments made by health workers. Women were seen as vulnerable and lacked access to support against gender-based violence. Men who have sex with men could face exclusion from important social networks. Age-appropriate VAPN assistance was also considered unavailable for sexually active children. Embedding understandings of identity, belonging, and safety into VAPN could address individual priorities and needs. Community support networks, tailored care for children, and family-orientated approaches to HIV notification may overcome issues relating to vulnerability and marginalisation.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background: Physical and sexual childhood abuse are associated with suicidal ideation and mental health disorders. However, less is known about non-physical types of maltreatment. This study examined associations between non-physical types of child maltreatment (e.g., emotional abuse, interpersonal aggression, exposure to physical intimate partner violence, emotional and physical neglect) and suicidal ideation, and mental health disorders. Data and methods: Data from the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces were used to estimate the proportion of individuals 15 years and older in Canada who experienced non-physical maltreatment during childhood. Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine associations between five types of non-physical child maltreatment and suicidal ideation, and mental health disorders. Results: Overall, interpersonal aggression was the most common (45.7%), followed by emotional abuse (40.4%) and emotional neglect (20.0%). Individuals who experienced any type of non-physical maltreatment in childhood had a higher probability of lifetime suicidal ideation than those who never experienced the maltreatment examined. Mood disorder diagnoses were more likely among those who experienced emotional abuse, interpersonal aggression, and emotional neglect than among those who never experienced these types of maltreatment. Compared with those who never experienced the maltreatment examined, individuals who experienced emotional abuse, interpersonal aggression, emotional neglect, or physical neglect were more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder were more likely among those who experienced emotional and physical neglect than among those who never experienced these types of maltreatment. Interpretation: Non-physical child maltreatment is associated with suicidal ideation and mental health disorders. The findings highlight the importance of including non-physical types of child maltreatment on population-based surveys to differentiate associations with mental health outcomes to better align interventions and policies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The research was conducted as a descriptive, cross-sectional study aimed at determining the factors influencing the effect of healthcare professionals' gender perceptions on their reporting of intimate partner violence against women. The sample of the study consisted of 191 people working in the emergency departments of public hospitals affiliated to the GaziantepG Provincial Health Directorate. A personal information form, the Gender Perception Scale, and the Scale of Health Professionals' Intentions/Behaviors Regarding Reporting Intimate Partner Violence were used as data collection tools. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U Test and the Kruskal-Wallis Test. The healthcare professionals' mean Gender Perception Scale score was determined as 90.79 ± 18.28, while their mean score on the Scale of Health Professionals' Intentions/Behaviors Regarding Reporting Intimate Partner Violence was determined as 107.05 ± 24.32. A positive and significant relationship was found between the healthcare professionals' gender perceptions and the behavior scale for reporting intimate partner violence against women (r = 0.178; p < 0.05), and it was determined that healthcare professionals with higher gender perception levels had a higher intention to report intimate partner violence against women.

RESUMEN

The 21st Century Cures Act requires that health organizations make all medical records rapidly available to patients through secure online portals. Referred to as "open notes," this approach is intended to improve health outcomes by facilitating easier and more transparent communication between patients and providers. For patients experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), however, open notes can create serious safety risks to their physical and mental health when not handled carefully. This clinical note aims to raise awareness of how open notes can be harmful in IPV situations, provide a set of evidence-informed recommendations on how healthcare providers and institutions can help to mitigate this harm, and outline areas for future research.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: We explored the influence of study partner (SP) characteristics on SP-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) presence across the neurocognitive spectrum and on the prognostic utility of mild behavioral impairment (MBI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We performed cross-sectional (n = 26,748) and longitudinal (n = 12,794) analyses using participant-SP dyad data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Participants were cognitively normal (CN; n = 11,951) or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 5686) or dementia (n = 9111). MEASUREMENTS: SPs rated NPS using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to model the association between SP characteristics (age, sex, and relationship to participant [spouse, child, and other]) and NPS status (outcome). Cox regressions assessed SP characteristics as moderators of MBI associations with incident dementia or as predictors of incident dementia in MBI + participants only. RESULTS: Among CN persons, younger, female, and spouse SPs reported NPS more frequently. In MCI, younger SPs and those who were spouses or children of participants reported higher NPS odds. For dementia participants, NPS odds were higher in female and spouse SPs. MBI associations with incident dementia were slightly weaker when SPs were older but did not depend on SP sex or relationship to participant. Among MBI + participants with spouse or child SPs, hazard for dementia was higher when compared to MBI + participants with other SPs. CONCLUSIONS: SP age, sex, and relationship to participant influence NPS reporting across the neurocognitive spectrum, with potential implications for MBI prognosis. Considering SP characteristics may enhance the accuracy of NPS assessments, which may facilitate therapy planning and prognosis.

RESUMEN

Background: Firearms are the leading cause of victimization of abused women by intimate partner homicide and intimate partner homicide-suicides in the US. This calls for evidence-based intervention strategies to prevent firearm-related injuries or mortality and address the firearms-related safety needs of women in abusive relationships. My Safety Steps (MySteps) was designed to comprehensively assess women's firearm-related risks, and current safety needs and to prevent women's harm from their abuser's access or ownership of a firearm through a digitally delivered firearm-focused safety planning intervention. This paper describes the development, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evaluation of the digital BSHAPE intervention among women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods: Using a pretest post-test control group design, the study was conducted with 103 participants with 55 women randomly assigned to the MySteps arm and 48 women to the standard of care control arm. The feasibility and acceptability outcomes assessed were enrollment, adherence, and perceptions of the intervention. Preliminary evaluation outcomes included the partner's access to a firearm, women's self-efficacy beliefs, and empowerment. Further, qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 survivors of IPV in the MySteps arm to follow up on the use and helpfulness of safety strategies provided in MySteps. Results and conclusion: The intervention was found to be feasible, and acceptable and demonstrated improved outcomes for survivors of IPV at risk from their partner's firearm. Women provided feedback for further refinement. The findings of this study will be useful in further refining MySteps and testing it in a full-scale randomized controlled trial.

RESUMEN

Interpersonal trust (IT) is a combination of individuals' cognitive evaluations of others' trustworthiness and affective considerations related to the relationships. Individuals' trust decisions overly relying on the intimacy of the relationship can be detrimental to their socialization. Attachment styles provide a theoretical framework for explaining individual differences in IT and the balance between cognition control and affective evaluation in social-information processing. However, it remains unclear whether high attachment anxiety (AX) individuals with high interpersonal needs exhibit non-socially adaptive trust decisions, characterized by an over-reliance on relationship closeness (RC), independent of partner trustworthiness (PT). A coin-toss task, combined with event-related potential (ERP), was utilized to explore the performance and temporal characteristics of trust decision-making among individuals with high and low AX under the influence of the two factors. The behavioral results showed that high-AX individuals tended to trust close others regardless of their trustworthiness, while low-AX individuals only trusted close others under low-PT conditions, with no differences in RC for high-PT. The ERP results revealed that high-AX individuals exhibited an enhanced positive P1 by low-trust partners, only discerning differences in RC for high-trust partners (more negative N2 by strangers than friends), reflecting poor conflict-detection abilities confronted with low-trust partners. Low-AX individuals' neural activity showed higher consistency with their behavioral performance, indicating that trust in close others under low-trust conditions was due to the fewer conflicts elicited and higher expectations of them, reflecting smaller N2 and larger P3. Overall, these findings indicated that high-AX individuals' IT decision-making was primarily influenced by their reliance on affective evaluation in information processing and weaker cognitive-control abilities, highlighting the contribution of attachment to social-information processing.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: Immigrants in the United States are more likely than nonimmigrants to experience risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and problems in getting support. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent incidents of xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment may have exacerbated exposure to IPV risk factors. We examined immigrant experiences of IPV before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study identified changes in characteristics of abuse, services used, referrals, and barriers to services among those who contacted the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) and identified as immigrants, reported immigration status as a concern, needed immigration support, and/or identified immigration status as a barrier to accessing services (N = 49 817). We used joinpoint regressions to examine whether the rate of change differed significantly from 2016-2019 (before the pandemic) to 2019-2021 (during the pandemic). RESULTS: The number of immigrant contacts to NDVH peaked in 2017 (n = 9333) and declined 25% to 6946 in 2021. During 2016-2019, the percentage of contacts reporting the following increased significantly: technology-facilitated violence (+12.7 percentage points), economic/financial abuse (+10.8 percentage points), and involvement of firearms (+4.8 percentage points); during 2019-2021, these trends reversed. The percentage of contacts reporting separation or divorce was relatively flat until 2019 and then increased from 14.6% in 2019 to 19.9% in 2021 (+5.2 percentage points). Housing instability increased during 2017-2020 (+9.3 percentage points), but requests for shelters decreased (-4.5 percentage points). Immigration status and personal finances were commonly reported barriers to services; both decreased during 2016-2019 but then increased during 2019-2021. CONCLUSIONS: This study can inform prevention and response strategies relevant for immigrants experiencing or reporting IPV.

RESUMEN

Background: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, intimate partner violence increased globally, but most notably in Africa. Conditions such as movement restrictions, staying home, and school closures increased the risk of domestic violence against women. Intimate partner violence is violence demonstrated by an intimate partner against women including physical, sexual, and psychological violence. Despite existing laws against intimate partner violence in Ethiopia, enforcement by law and the judicial system remains inadequate. Thus, this research aims to identify factors contributing to intimate partner violence among women during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing insights from the current literature. Method: We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Cochrane, and others. Two reviewers separately carried out the search, study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction. A third party was involved in resolving disagreements among the reviewers. All 10 studies included in this study were published in English, with publication dates before 25 February 2024. Articles lacking an abstract and/or full-text, studies that did not identify the intended outcome, and qualitative studies were excluded from the analysis. A Microsoft Excel checklist was used to extract the data, which were then exported to STATA 11. I 2, funnel plots, and Egger's test were employed to measure heterogeneity and detect publication bias, respectively. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors among women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Result: The meta-analysis includes a sample size of 6,280 women from 10 articles. The pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence and associated factors among women during the COVID-19 pandemic was found to be 31.60% (95% CI: 21.10-42.11) and significant factors were partner alcohol use with a pooled odds ratio of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.60-2.23), income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic with a pooled odds ratio of 9.86 (95% CI: 6.35-15.70), partner's literacy level/education status with a pooled odds ratio of 2.03 (95% CI: 1.57-2.63), and decision-making in the household with a pooled odds ratio of 1.82 (95% CI: 1.33-2.50). Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found preliminary evidence that intimate partner violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A partner who has a history of alcohol use, women who had lost income during COVID-19, a partner who has no formal education, and household decisions made by the husband alone were statistically significant factors for intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This implies that the health sector must play a significant role in providing women who are victims of violence with comprehensive healthcare, advocating that violence against women should be viewed as unacceptable, and improving literacy to minimize the consequences of intimate partner violence among women.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: HIV notification and testing integrated into partner service (PS) practices among HIV-positive individuals have been proven to be an efficient approach for case finding, although it remains a weak link in China. Although nonmarital sexual activities accounted for a large proportion of newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases in China, little is known about PS uptake and associated factors within nonmarital partnerships. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe HIV PS utilization and its associated factors among HIV-positive individuals with nonmarital sexual partners. METHODS: We recruited newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals who had nonmarital sexual partners in 2022 in Zhejiang Province and offered them PS. We described the PS uptake cascade within sexual partner categories and analyzed the associated factors with 3 primary outcomes from the participants' perspective: nonmarital partner enumeration, HIV testing, and HIV positivity. RESULTS: In this study, 3509 HIV-positive individuals were recruited as participants, and they enumerated 2507 nonmarital sex partners (2507/14,556, 17.2% of all nonmarital sex partners) with contact information. Among these, 43.1% (1090/2507) underwent an HIV test, with an HIV-positive rate of 28.3% (309/1090). Heterosexual commercial partners were the least likely of being enumerated (441/4292, 10.3%) and had the highest HIV-positive rate (40/107, 37.4%). At the participant level, 48.1% (1688/3509) of the participants enumerated at least one nonmarital sex partner with contact information, 52.7% (890/1688) had a sex partner tested for HIV, and 31% (276/890) had at least one nonmarital sex partner who tested positive. Multivariate analysis indicated that gender and transmission route were associated with both nonmarital sex partner enumeration and HIV testing. Age and occupation were associated with nonmarital sex partner enumeration and HIV positivity. Compared with participants who had no regular nonmarital sex partner, those who had a regular nonmarital sex partner were more likely to enumerate nonmarital sex partners (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.017, 95% CI 2.560-3.554), have them get tested for HIV (aOR 1.725, 95% CI 1.403-2.122), and have an HIV-positive nonmarital sex partner (aOR 1.962, 95% CI 1.454-2.647). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of partner enumeration was low, and HIV testing rate was moderate among nonmarital partnerships of HIV-positive individuals. More efforts should be made to improve PS practices among HIV-positive individuals and address the gap in partner enumeration, especially for heterosexual commercial nonmarital partnerships. Additionally, enhancing PS operational skills among health care personnel could increase the overall efficiency of PS uptake in China.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Aggregation and deposition of amyloid beta-protein 1-42 (Aß42) in the brain, primarily owing to hydrophobic interactions between Aß42 chains, is a common pathology in all forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hydrophilic oligosaccharides are widely present in the extracellular matrix and on the cytoplasmic membrane. To determine if oligosaccharides bind to Aß42 or its aggregates and consequently affect their aggregation and cellular function, this study examined the interaction of typical functional oligosaccharides with Aß42 or its aggregates. Isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs), particularly isomaltotriose, panose, and isomaltotetraose, functioned as molecular chaperones for Aß42 by binding directly to Aß42, preserving Aß42's active conformation and cytotrophic activity. Oral IMOs reduced total plasma Aß level and indirectly caused a slight reduction in the load of Aß42 spots/plaques in the brain of AD model mice (male). Another branched oligosaccharide, bianntennary core pentasaccharide (BCP), had a relatively high binding specificity for Aß42 oligomers (Aß42O) and acted as an antagonistic binding partner for Aß42O. Free BCP effectively blocked/prevented further assembly of Aß42O and their toxicity to neural and vascular endothelial cell lines. Since BCP is also a signaling component of membrane targets (glycolipids, glycoproteins or receptors), it seemed that BCP had two opposing effects on the binding of Aß42O to target cells. This study's findings suggest that these branched oligosaccharides may be potential candidates for blocking or preventing Aß42 aggregation and Aß42O cytotoxicity/neurotoxicity, respectively, and that IMO-like or free BCP-like oligosaccharide deficiencies in the brain may be one of the underlying mechanisms for Aß42 aggregation and Aß42O cytotoxicity.

RESUMEN

Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) often feel pressured to forgive their abusers and remain in dangerous relationships. However, forgiveness does not have to include reconciliation and it may be conceptualized in different ways. This quantitative study surveyed 110 women who experienced IPV from men and separated from their abusers. It then examined (a) the prevalence of 20 different beliefs about forgiveness and (b) the relationship between those beliefs, the women's self-reported practices of forgiveness, and the women's intent to return to their abusers. The study asked whether different beliefs about forgiveness were-in combination with different levels of forgiveness-associated with intent to return to abusers. It found that women's beliefs about forgiveness varied widely, but only 4.6% of the women believed that forgiveness involved reconciliation. In contrast, 80% of the women believed it was simultaneously possible to forgive and to avoid the men who hurt them. When interaction analyses were conducted, significant interactions were found between three beliefs and women's self-reported practices of forgiveness. For two beliefs, the interactions were positively associated with intent to return to abusers (i.e., a belief that forgiveness involves reconciliation, and a belief that forgiveness involves treating a person better than before). For one belief, the interaction was negatively associated with intent to return (i.e., the belief that it is possible both to forgive and to avoid a person). Results suggest that women's beliefs about forgiveness matter. Women are more likely to return to abusers if they believe forgiveness involves reconciliation or treating their abusers better than before. They are less likely to return, if they believe it is possible to forgive their abusers and still avoid them. Interventions targeting women's beliefs about forgiveness may increase their safety.

RESUMEN

Existing research suggests that prior victimizations during a person's lifetime, particularly childhood traumas and maltreatment, are risk factors for abuse and revictimization in adulthood, although longitudinal evidence is sparse. Using data from a 30-year ongoing longitudinal study of the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment, this paper describes the extent to which childhood maltreatment predicts subsequent victimization and partner violence victimization at two time points in adulthood. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort design study in which children with court-substantiated cases of maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood and interviewed over several waves. Childhood maltreatment was assessed through juvenile and adult court records from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern county area in the United States. Victimization experiences were assessed from 2000 to 2002 (Mage = 39.5 years) and 2009 to 2010 (Mage = 47.5) and included two types based on information from the lifetime trauma and victimization history instrument and questions about past year partner violence victimization. Individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment were more likely to report physical and sexual assaults and kidnapping and stalking victimization than controls through age 39.5. In contrast, the two groups did not differ at the later assessment at age 47.5, except maltreated individuals reported greater risk for sexual assault/abuse than controls. For intimate partner violence victimization at age 39.5, maltreated and control groups differed only in terms of victimization involving injury. Later in adulthood, more individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported partner physical violence victimization compared to controls. Although these longitudinal findings showed a general decline in victimization experiences over the two time points, these results demonstrate that childhood maltreatment increases risk for subsequent revictimization in middle adulthood, specifically for sexual assault/abuse and intimate partner physical violence victimization. These findings have implications for prevention and intervention efforts targeting maltreated children.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Despite the documented increasing prevalence of elder abuse victimization and its devastating health effects, a life-course view of the victimization experiences of older adults has rarely been adopted in the elder abuse literature. The current study investigated lifetime links between victimization experiences by examining the indirect effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on elder abuse victimization via intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in middle adulthood, and whether this indirect association would differ by gender. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyzed the previous and current victimization experiences of a total of 5,391 older adults in their early 70s and estimated mediational and moderated mediation models. The key results indicated that a higher ACE score was associated with exposure to IPV victimization in middle adulthood, which was in turn associated with exposure to elder abuse victimization. This indirect association was stronger for women than for men. Regarding specific types of childhood victimization, parental physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence significantly predicted elder abuse victimization via IPV victimization. Our results support the phenomenon of lifetime victimization, whereby an individual experiences reoccurring forms of victimization across the life course from childhood to late adulthood. Findings highlight the compelling need for the assessment of cumulative victimization experiences and their impact on elder abuse victims. A life-course-based, trauma-informed approach would greatly enhance prevention and intervention services for elder abuse.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and factors associated with it during the postpartum period. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 428 women were enrolled from 10 health centers in the south of Tehran, Iran, between April 2023 and October 2023. We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), the short form of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for data collection. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to determine demographic and psychological predictors of IPV after childbirth. RESULTS: Approximately two-thirds of women (n=285, 66.6%) experienced IPV within 1 year of childbirth. Psychological aggression (n= 276, 64.5%) was the most common type of IPV, whereas injury (n=96, 22.4%) was the least common. Additionally, one in three women experienced physical assault (n= 134, 31.3%), and over one-third experienced sexual coercion (n= 152, 35.5%). Predictor factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: insufficient family income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-15.28), husband's smoking (aOR 3.17, 95% CI 1.70-5.92), history of IPV in pregnancy (aOR 2.44, 95% CI 1.33-4.50), number of children (aOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.79-5.10), and depression (aOR 1.2, 95% CI 1.08-1.14). On the other hand, protective factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: longer marriage duration (aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.93) and greater resilience (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90-0.99). CONCLUSION: IPV is prevalent 1 year after childbirth. Healthcare providers should implement a thorough screening program to identify risk and protective factors related to postpartum IPV.

RESUMEN

Forty-two percent of women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) reported that their experience of IPV resulted in an injury. This review aims to review the existing literature from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on IPV-related injuries as well as identify IPV-related injury patterns and locations. A systematic electronic database search was conducted between August and September 2021 (Prospero ID: CRD42021281519). Five databases yielded 408 articles; 328 remained for title and abstract screening after duplicates were removed. Of the 59 eligible for full-text review, 19 articles were eligible for extraction. After quality assessment, 18 articles were included in the study. Most (56%) studies were observational studies. Studies represented 15 different countries. The majority of the studies (89%) had authors whose institutional affiliation was located in the country where the study took place. Soft tissue injuries were the most commonly reported injury type followed by fractures and burns. The most common injury locations were the head, neck, and face followed by both upper and lower limbs. The most commonly cited injury mechanism was bodily force. The findings of this study echo what has been written in the literature regarding IPV-related injury patterns from high-income countries (HICs). One limitation of this study is that the search only included literature published in English. The injury patterns identified in this article confirm the need for awareness and action on the part of both medical and surgical providers in order to best address IPV in LMICs.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Objective: To characterize the sociological risk factors for firearm intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in Texas, with a focus on lethal predictors to aid in screening and intervention guidelines. Methods: A retrospective medical and forensic chart review was conducted and supplemented by news sources, public police reports, and court records on firearm cases in Houston, TX, from 2018 to 2020. IPV was defined as a cis-gendered female victim of firearm violence from a current or ex-intimate partner. Non-IPV was defined as cis-gendered female victims of firearm violence from strangers, friends/acquaintances, gang, client, or similar relationships. Numeric variables were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and reported as median [Q1, Q3]. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test and reported as count (%). Results: A total of 102 cases of IPV were identified. Nonspousal IPV was more prevalent than spousal (65.7% versus 34.3%). Lethal injuries, older age, home location, and head injuries were more prevalent in the IPV cohort. Older age, spousal perpetrator, home shooting location, and history of prior domestic abuse were associated with lethal IPV. There were 31 cases of murder-suicide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, IPV cases increased by 91.3%, with lethal cases increasing by 57.6%. Conclusion: Risk factors for overall IPV and lethal IPV are not the same; therefore, it is imperative that all women, irrespective of race, age, or relationship status, be screened for IPV and prior domestic violence to allow intervention and prevention of lethal IPV. Patients should also be screened for personal or partner access to firearms as firearm IPV is a highly lethal form of violence.

RESUMEN

In Asia, rates of interpersonal violence are increasing, with significant regional disparities. However, long-term, continental-scale research considering regional differences across the Asia regions is limited. Guided by the ecological model, we examined five ecological risk factors (low life satisfaction/happiness, economic hardship, neighborhood disadvantage, patriarchal values, and religiosity) associated with perceptions of justification of interpersonal violence (i.e., intimate partner violence [IPV] against wife, child physical abuse, and violence against others) in five regions in Asia (i.e., East, West, Central, South, and Southeast). Using the World Values Survey (n = 32,307), a multigroup multiple regression model was used with robust maximum likelihood estimation using Mplus ver. 8. In the entire Asia sample model, perceptions of justifiability of IPV against wife were positively associated with low life satisfaction/happiness; economic hardship; neighborhood disadvantage; and patriarchal values, while they were negatively associated with religiosity. Perceptions of justifiability of child abuse were positively associated with low life satisfaction/happiness; neighborhood disadvantage; and patriarchal values, while they were negatively associated with economic hardship and religiosity. Perceptions of justifiability of violence against others were positively associated with economic hardship and neighborhood disadvantage, while they were negatively associated with religiosity. Each region presented unique risk factor associations. Considering the high rates of interpersonal violence in Asia, understanding the risk factors associated with perceptions of justifying specific types of interpersonal violence can provide an initial insight into preventing violence in Asia. Further, as many Asians dwelling outside Asian regions are still influenced by their culture, religion, language, and norms of the region of origin, the study findings may shed light on future studies to consider in the interpersonal violence literature.