Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2015 Jan;41(1):36-42.
doi: 10.1016/j.jen.2014.01.015. Epub 2014 Apr 24.

Injury outcomes in African American and African Caribbean women: the role of intimate partner violence

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Injury outcomes in African American and African Caribbean women: the role of intimate partner violence

Jocelyn C Anderson et al. J Emerg Nurs. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Intimate partner violence has been linked to increased and repeated injuries, as well as negative long-term physical and mental health outcomes. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of injury in women of African descent who reported recent intimate partner violence and control subjects who were never abused.

Methods: African American and African Caribbean women aged 18 to 55 years were recruited from clinics in Baltimore, MD, and the US Virgin Islands. Self-reported demographics, partner violence history, and injury outcomes were collected. Associations between violence and injury outcomes were examined with logistic regression.

Results: All injury outcomes were significantly more frequently reported in women who also reported recent partner violence than in women who were never abused. Multiple injuries were nearly 3 times more likely to be reported in women who had experienced recent abuse (adjusted odds ratio 2.75; 95% confidence interval 1.98-3.81). Reported injury outcomes were similar between the sites except that women in Baltimore were 66% more likely than their US Virgin Islands counterparts to report ED use in the past year (P = .001). In combined-site multivariable models, partner violence was associated with past-year ED use, hospitalization, and multiple injuries.

Discussion: Injuries related to intimate partner violence may be part of the explanation for the negative long-term health outcomes. In this study, partner violence was associated with past-year ED use, hospitalization, and multiple injuries. Emergency nurses need to assess for intimate partner violence when women report with an injury to ensure that the violence is addressed in order to prevent repeated injuries and negative long-term health outcomes.

Keywords: Health care utilization; Injury; Intimate partner violence.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Black MC, Basile KC, Breiding MJ. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention; 2011.
    1. Campbell DW, Sharps PW, Gary FA, Campbell JC, Lopez LM. Intimate partner violence in African American women. Online J Issues Nurs. 2002;7(1):5. - PubMed
    1. West CM. Domestic Violence in Ethnically and Racially Diverse Families. In: Sokoloff NJ, Pratt C, editors. Domestic Violence At The Margins: Readings On Race, Class, Gender, And Culture. NJ: Rutgers University Press; 2005. pp. 157–173.
    1. Campbell JC, Stockman JK, Lucea MB, et al. Intimate partner violence among African American and African Caribbean women: Prevalence, risk factors and the influence of cultural attitudes. Under review. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Le Franc E, Samms-Vaughan M, Hambleton I, Fox K, Brown D. Interpersonal violence in three Caribbean countries: Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2008 Dec;24(6):409–421. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms