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Combat Exposure's Influence on Intimate Partner Violence among Reserve Soldiers
Methods Data are from Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers and Families Excelling Through the Years), an ongoing, longitudinal study of USAR/ARNG Soldiers and their partners. Logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of IPV (verbal aggression, physical assault, physical injury) occurring based on combat exposure; models controlled for age, marital satisfaction, and PTSD symptoms. Both within and across partner effects were examined.
Results Husbands had greater odds of injury against their wives with increased combat exposure (OR=1.07 [95% CI: 1.02-1.11], p < 0.01), and wives had increased odds of injury against their husbands when he had increased combat exposure (OR=1.10 [95% CI: 1.02-1.20], p < 0.05). Neither wives’ nor husbands’ physical aggression were influenced by wives’ combat exposure.
Conclusions Although combat exposure among men did not increase the likelihood of IPV, it did increase the likelihood of IPV resulting in injury. This was true for both husband to wife aggression as well wife to husband. Post-deployment training should include additional prevention programs focused on IPV. Importantly, programing should also involve the soldier’s partner, and include awareness of their coping/actions while dealing with their partner’s post-deployment outcomes.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health educationEpidemiology
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Compare how combat exposure influences husband to wife aggression and wife to husband aggression.
Explain how combat exposure relates to increased odds of intimate partner violence resulting in injury.
Describe how these differences in intimate partner violence resulting in injury are relevant to US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners.
Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Veterans' Health
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a second year PhD student with a Masters degree in Public Health. I have conceptualized and conducted this research, in conjunction with Gregory G. Homish, PhD, my advisory and mentor in the program. My experience and classes have given me the necessary tools, in particular advanced statistical analysis, to conduct this project. Finally, for the past two years I have conducted research and worked on research projects gaining additional experience.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
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.