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
. 2015 Apr;105(4):719-24.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301886. Epub 2014 Jun 12.

Severe physical violence and Black women's health and well-being

Krim K Lacey  1 , Karen Powell Sears, Niki Matusko, James S Jackson
Affiliations

Severe physical violence and Black women's health and well-being

Krim K Lacey et al. Am J Public Health. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the association between intimate partner violence and the mental and physical health status of US Caribbean Black and African American women.

Methods: We used 2001 to 2003 cross-sectional data from the National Survey of American Life-the most detailed study to date of physical and mental health disorders of Americans of African descent. We assessed participants' health conditions by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (Washington, DC; American Psychological Association) Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Results: We found differences in health conditions between abused African American and Caribbean Black women. There were increased risks for lifetime dysthymia, alcohol dependence, drug abuse, and poor perceived health for African American victims of partner abuse, and binge eating disorder was associated with partner violence among Caribbean Black women.

Conclusions: Severe intimate partner violence was associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes for US Black women, with different patterns between African American and Caribbean Blacks. Understanding intimate partner violence experiences of US Black women requires recognition of key intragroup differences, including nativity and immigrant status, and their differential relationships to women's health.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Field CA, Caetano R, Nelson S. Alcohol and violence related cognitive risk factors associated with the perpetration of intimate partner violence. J Fam Violence. 2004;19(4):249–253.
    1. Black M, Basile K, Smith S . The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2011.
    1. Cho H. Racial differences in the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women and associated factors. J Interpers Violence. 2012;27(2):344–363. - PubMed
    1. Hien D, Ruglass L. Interpersonal partner violence and women in the United States: an overview of prevalence rates, psychiatric correlates and consequences and barriers to help seeking. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2009;32(1):48–55. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Taft CT, Bryant-Davis T, Woodward HE, Tillman S, Torres M. Intimate partner violence against African American women: an examination of the socio-cultural context. Aggress Violent Behav. 2009;14(1):50–58.

Publication types