Intimate Partner Violence against Women and Health Behavior

Background: There is a growing emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles in the U.S. Previous research indicates that intimate partner violence (IPV) victims may be less able to make healthy choices than others. Therefore, this study examines factors related to making healthy choices in a community sample of Virginia women.

Methods: Random digit-dial telephone interviews were conducted with 1105 women in Hampton Roads, Virginia (a 15 county/city region). The survey included items about demographics, health, lifetime IPV and poor health behaviors (unhealthy diet, not getting regular exercise, current smoking, and alcohol use). Logistic regression models were used to examine factors related to each behavior. Potential predictors included ethnicity/race, age, income, employment, marital status, self-rated poor health, depression/anxiety, and IPV.

Results: Overall, 22% of the women did not have a healthy diet, 11% did not engage in any moderate or vigorous physical effort, 16% were current smokers and 62% were current drinkers. The lifetime prevalence rate of IPV was 24%. IPV was a significant risk factor for all four unhealthy behaviors; this remained true in models controlling for age, ethnicity, income, employment, marital status, poor health and depression/anxiety. Other factors related to some unhealthy behaviors, but only IPV consistently predicted all four.

Conclusion: IPV victimization may act as a barrier to planning for and engaging in a healthy lifestyle. Health promotion programs seeking to increase positive health behaviors in women may need to address IPV into their curricula in order to assist all women in achieving a healthy lifestyle.