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Intimate partner violence and health outcomes in mid-life women: a population-based cohort study

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Summary

Aim: To investigate the association between experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and health outcomes measured prospectively.

Method: Eleven-year prospective study of a population-based cohort of 438 Australian-born women aged 45–55 years at baseline (in 1991). Annual face-to-face interviews measured health status and quality of life; questionnaires on intimate partner physical, emotional and sexual violence and on experiences of childhood abuse completed in year 6 of follow-up.

Results: In year 11 of follow-up 233 women (mean age 59.9 SD 2.5 years) were interviewed of whom 62 (27%) reported experiencing physical and/or emotional and/or sexual IPV prior to the 6th year of follow-up. In bi-variate analysis a history of IPV was significantly associated with mental and sexual health variables and marital status at baseline and follow-up. Multivariate analysis found that at follow-up after allowing for baseline measures and other co-variates: Frequency of Sexual Activities was lower in women who had experienced IPV (p < 0.05); and negative mood was higher in women with the experience of IPV during the 12 months prior to completing the violence questionnaire (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: IPV was a significant contributor to mental and sexual health status measured prospectively in this cohort of mid-aged Australian-born women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    B. Schei

  2. Office for Gender and Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    J. R. Guthrie, L. Dennerstein & S. Alford

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  1. B. Schei
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Schei, B., Guthrie, J., Dennerstein, L. et al. Intimate partner violence and health outcomes in mid-life women: a population-based cohort study. Arch Womens Ment Health 9, 317–324 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-006-0156-6

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