Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #160731

Anita Ravi, MPH¹, Michelle Hynes, MPH¹, Jeanne Ward, CSW², Mary Koss, PhD³, Lauren Zapata, PhD, MSPH¹, Lumnije Deqani⁴, Jason Hsia, PhD⁵, and Kathryn M. Curtis, PhD¹. (1) Division of Reproductive Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Mail Stop K-34, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-6237, anita.ravi@aya.yale.edu, (2) Independet Consultant, PO Box 1360, Sarit Center 0606, Nairobi, Kenya, (3) Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1632 E. Lester Street, Tucson, AZ 85719, (4) Women's Wellness Center, Fahu Postal 64, Peje 30,000 Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, (5) Division of Reproductive Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Mail Stop K-21, Atlanta, GA 30341

This study examines characteristics associated with seeking help for intimate partner violence (IPV) among women who experienced IPV one year prior to the Kosovar-Serbian war (1997) and/or one year prior to the 2002 survey administration (2001). The cross-sectional gender based violence survey was designed and implemented using a 2-stage sampling method in 9 villages in Peja, Kosovo, by the Women's Wellness Center (a Kosovo-based NGO), the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Arizona. Frequency and bivariate analysis focused on 92 respondents (28%) who experienced IPV. The respondents' mean age was 37 years, 93% had a partner, and 80% were unemployed. Thirty-six percent sought help for IPV from informal sources such as family and one percent used formal support sources. Factors significantly associated with seeking help included having a partner who used alcohol (58% v 31%, p=.02) and having bruises as a result of IPV (59% v 30%, p=.01). Women abused by other family members were significantly less likely to seek help (30% v 59%, p=.01). Forty-seven percent of participants felt that a women's group would help them cope with IPV. While long-term interventions should be multi-sectoral and focus on gender based violence prevention through systemic changes and policy reforms, our findings suggest that more immediate efforts should increase the accessibility of formal IPV-support services. Specifically, developing and incorporating accessible women's groups into support services targeting conflict-affected women may provide significant steps toward increasing the formal support service utilization.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Recognize the increased use of informal support sources for IPV over formal support sources
• 2. Identify the individual, personal and relationship factors associated with seeking help for IPV among conflict-affected Kosovar women
• 3. Describe the community and societal actions necessary to increase support and prevention of IPV in this population.

Keywords: Domestic Violence, War

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.