American Journal of Public Health
Volume 99, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 462-469

Premigration exposure to political violence and perpetration of intimate partner violence among immigrant men in Boston (Article)

Gupta J.* , Acevedo-Garcia D. , Hemenway D. , Decker M.R. , Raj A. , Silverman J.G.
  • a Yale University Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, New Haven, CT, United States, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • b Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • d Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • e Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • f Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Objectives. We examined associations between premigration political violence exposure and past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among immigrant men attending community health centers in Boston. Methods. A convenience sample of immigrant men (N=379; aged 18-35 years), largely from the Caribbean and Cape Verde, who attend community health centers, completed an anonymous, cross-sectional survey on risk and protective factors for male-perpetrated IPV and respondents' exposure to political violence. Results. One in 5 (20.1%) immigrant men reported that they were exposed to political violence before arrival in the United States. Men reporting political violence exposure were significantly more likely to report IPV perpetration than were men not reporting such exposure (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.41, 5.74). Significant associations with political violence exposure were observed for both physical (AOR=2.69; 95% CI=1.11, 6.54) and sexual (AOR=2.37; 95% CI=1.04, 5.44) IPV perpetration. Conclusions. To our knowledge, our findings document for the first time the significant association between premigration political violence exposure and recent IPV perpetration among immigrant men. Additional work is needed to examine underlying mechanisms to inform culturally appropriate programs.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

immigrant Community Health Services community care risk human risk assessment Odds Ratio statistics violence Stress, Psychological mental stress Confidence Intervals Time Factors Cross-Sectional Studies Confidence interval Young Adult United States cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent Domestic Violence male Emigrants and Immigrants risk factor Risk Factors questionnaire prevalence Article Questionnaires partner violence adult migration politics health center time Boston health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-61549126871&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.2007.120634&partnerID=40&md5=e0cdd05862b579fb7af4084cf8489e6f
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.120634
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 48
Original Language: English