Drinking and Intimate Partner Violence Severity Levels Among U.S. Ethnic Groups in an Urban Emergency Department

Abstract

Background

Emergency departments (EDs) provide care to ethnically diverse populations with multiple health‐related risk factors, many of which are associated with intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper examines ethnic‐specific12‐month rates of physical IPV by severity and their association with drinking and other sociodemographic and personality correlates in an urban ED sample.

Methods

Research assistants surveyed patients at an urban ED regarding IPV exposure, as well as patterns of alcohol and drug use, psychological distress, adverse childhood experiences and other sociodemographic features.

Results

The survey (N=1037) achieved an 87.5% participation rate. About 23% of the sample reported an IPV event in the past 12 months. Rates were higher (p<.001) among Blacks (34%), Whites (31%) and multiethnic (46%) respondents than among Asians (13%) and Hispanics (15%). Modeled results showed that Black respondents were more likely than Hispanics (reference) to report IPV (AOR=1.69; 95%CI=1.98‐2.66; p<.05), and that respondents’ partner drinking was associated with IPV (AOR=1.85; 95%CI=1.25‐2.73; p<.01), but respondents drinking was not. Use of illicit drugs, younger age, impulsivity, depression, partner problem drinking, adverse childhood experiences, and food insufficiency were all positively associated with IPV.

Conclusions

There was considerable variation in IPV rates across ethnic groups in the sample. The null results for the association between respondents’ drinking and IPV was surprising and may stem from the relatively moderate levels of drinking in the sample. Results for ethnicity, showing Blacks as more likely than Hispanics to report IPV, support prior literature.

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