Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116517

Katherine E. Morrison, MS, PhD, Stone Center, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481, 781-283-2889, kmorriso@wellesley.edu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has purported that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a tremendous threat to the health and well-being of women. Research suggests that African-American women are at increased risk for experiencing IPV. However, victimization within this population has been largely overlooked by the scientific community. While quantitative design has provided a strong foundation for understanding IPV, this methodology is limited in its capacity to explore racial and cultural nuances that influence IPV. Such an investigation is essential since the reasons behind why IPV emerges may be different for each community. Gaining insight concerning IPV among African-Americans requires the implementation of methodology that allows for the exploration of the community's thoughts and attitudes toward IPV. Qualitative methodology allows participants to relate their own understanding of a phenomenon. Through this type of research methodology, public health preventive and intervention efforts may be enhanced. This presentation shares results of a qualitative investigation. Data are reported from 15 interviews with African-American women who were self-identified as having survived IPV. All of the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using text-based software to assist with coding of data. Analysis showed emergent themes among interviews, including insights concerning the influence of racism on help-seeking, participants perceptions of attitudes of their immediate African-American social networks, and the influence of the uniquely Afrocentric concept of the ‘Strong Black Woman'.

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