Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Injury Among Urban Women

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for abuse and IPV related injury among an urban population. This study reports an additional analysis of a case-control study conducted from 1994 to 2000 in 11 USA metropolitan cities where of 4746 women, 3637 (76.6%) agreed to participate. Control group women (N = 845) were identified through random digit dialing. Significant risk factors for abuse included women’s young age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.05 p = .011), being in fair or poor mental health (AOR 2.65 p < .001), and former partner (AOR 3.33 p < .001). Risk factors for partners perpetrating IPV included not being a high school graduate (AOR 2.06 p = .014), being in fair or poor mental health (AOR 6.61 p < .001), having a problem with drug (AOR 1.94 p = .020) or alcohol use (AOR 2.77 p = .001), or pet abuse (AOR 7.59 p = .011). College completion was observed to be protective (AOR 0.60, p < .001). Significant risk factors for injury included partner’s fair or poor mental health (AOR 2.13, p = .008), suicidality (AOR 2.11, p = .020), controlling behavior (AOR 4.31, p < .001), prior domestic violence arrest (AOR 2.66, p = .004), and relationship with victim of more than 1 year (AOR 2.30, p = .026). Through integration of partner related risk factors into routine and/or targeted screening protocols, we may identify more abused women and those at greater risk of abuse and injury.