Intimate Partner Violence and Health

Abstract

Objective: The Canadian Public Health Association, along with other professional organizations, has identified intimate partner violence (IPV) as a priority health issue to which the health professions must respond. This study synthesizes Canadian studies on the prevalence of IPV against women, focusing in particular on the stated implications for women's health and health care. Methods: Medical and social science databases were searched for all articles pertaining to IPV in Canada for 1974 through September 2000. Reference lists of these and other related publications were consulted to supplement the literature review. Data on study characteristics, methods, and results were extracted by two independent reviewers. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: Sixteen studies were identified in this review, 11 population-based and 5 conducted in clinical settings. Age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were not consistently documented, making comparisons and evaluations of generalizability difficult. Annual prevalence of IPV in Canada was found to range from 0.4% to 23%, with severe violence occurring from 2% to 10% annually. Less than two fifths (37.5%) of the studies incorporated a health-related measure. Interpretation: This review reveals a paucity of Canadian prevalence data on IPV, marked by design and methodological issues. Poor quality data may pose a challenge to articulating and establishing a coordinated health care response to eliminating IPV in Canada. La traduction du résumé se trouve à la fin de l'article.

Variations in Women’s Help Seeking in Response to Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From a Canadian Population-Based Study

“…IPV occurring in the past year ranged from 4% to 54%. Within a Canadian context, Clark and Du Mont's (2003) systematic review of IPV prevalence studies found that 0.4% to 23.0% of Canadians are affected by IPV annually. Despite changes in policy that promote the ending of violence against women in North America (e.g., procharging and mandatory arrest policies), intimate partner violence continues to be a major risk factor threatening women's psychological and physical well-being.…”

Who Is Most at Risk for Intimate Partner Violence?

“…There has been a number of community studies, mostly from North America, that show that, on average, one in five couples experiences IPV over a 12month period (Field & Caetano, 2005). A review of 11 Canadian studies of IPV against women found annual prevalence figures ranging from 0.4% to 23.0% (Clark & Du Mont, 2003). In contrast, the Intimate Partner Violence Fact Sheet issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2000b) suggested that 0.8% of women and 0.1% of men aged 12 years and older experience an episode of IPV each year.…”

Domestic Violence and Immigrant Women: A Glimpse Behind a Veiled Door

“…Canadian prevalence data related to DV collected via the 1999 version of the Canada General Social Survey indicated that the last 5-year rates of DV increased among women for all types of violence except psychological violence ( Romans et al, 2007 ). A review of 11 Canadian studies reported annual prevalence rates of DV as varying from 0.4–23% ( Clark & Du Mont, 2003 ). Neither of these studies reported data specifically related to immigrant women.…”