Prevalence of intimate partner violence among urban, suburban, and rural females

Significantly higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV)-related homicide have been found among women residing in rural communities. Prior research has yielded conflicting results on rural-urban differences in the prevalence of non-fatal IPV; and these prior studies have been limited by small sample sizes. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of self-reported IPV within a large sample of adult females and to compare IPV prevalence among those living in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Data are from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System optional IPV module administered to 32,000 women in 10 states. Questions on IPV included threatened, attempted, or inflicted violence; unwanted sex or violence; injuries sustained from violence or unwanted sex; and relationship to current or former partner. Among all respondents, 20% reported sustaining physical IPV within their lifetime, while 6% of respondents who reported unwanted sex or physical violence were victimized within the previous 12 months. Chi-square tests were used to determine statistically significant differences in the percentage of women reporting IPV victimization. No major differences in the prevalence of IPV were found across urban, suburban, and rural strata. These findings, when combined with existing data on IPV-related homicide, suggest that the overall prevalence of IPV is similar among urban and rural populations, but that IPV is more likely to escalate to lethal violence among women residing in rural locations.