The relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and intimate partner violence of minority women and the implications for their health

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue in the United States affecting over 4 million women annually. While IPV cuts across all races and socioeconomic levels, empirical research indicates that minority women are disproportionately affected. Thus far, research has highlighted the significance of individual factors to explain IPV, but there is a notable absence of the role that the neighborhood environment has in influencing the occurrence of IPV. The purpose of this study was to identify potential factors that drive the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and IPV among minority women. Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey 2012-2016 public use file were used to investigate the association of neighborhood disadvantage and IPV. Data from the survey were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau and exported to IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 for analysis. Using multilevel logistic regression, the results of this study revealed that minority women who lived in a gated community or building with restricted access were more likely to have reported experiencing an IPV crime than White only households (aOR = 1.01; aOR = 1.19). In addition, for each unit increase on the neighborhood advantage scale, the odds of IPV increased by 10% (aOR = 1.10). The most prominent policy implications stemming from the study include the need to reduce the prevalence of IPV and to tailor prevention and intervention services within the cultural identity of the neighborhood landscape. Health educators must understand and acknowledge the challenges minority women confront by adapting interventions and providing accessible services in a way that is beneficial to and supports minority women and their families.