Burden and Psychosocial Context of IPV Among Immigrant Latinas: New Evidence from the Southeast USA

Very little research has been done on IPV among Latinas in the Southeastern USA. We surveyed 272 women in central Alabama to examine prevalence of abuse, perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of Latinas. The pretested questionnaire included previously validated questions and new questions designed specifically for this study. Respondents averaged 6.5 years in the US and, mirroring the US Latino population, 68% were from Mexico. Most had less than high school education (70%), were married/cohabitating (72%), and had 1-3 children (78%). Overall, 39% self-reported current victimization and 45% reported lifetime victimization. Mean scores were 3.75 on the WAST (Woman-Abuse-Screening Tool, range 0-8) and 32 on the Perception of Abuse Scale (range 11-44) indicating participants had a fairly good understanding of violent behaviors and the consequences of those behaviors. Multivariate results indicated that women of Central/South American origin were 1.9 times more likely to be IPV victims than women from Mexico/US. IPV victims were 3.6 times more likely to know of a place to seek help than were non-victims. Multivariate modeling of the perceptions of abuse revealed victims were less likely to have higher perceptions of abuse scores (aOR 0.4). When examining help-seeking behaviors, victims were 4.9 times more likely to know of a place to seek help than non-victims. Low-income women were 90% less likely to know of a place to seek help than women with higher incomes. These results, the first to analyze IPV among Latinas in Alabama, are being used to develop new intervention programs for Latina victims.