Global measurement of intimate partner violence to monitor Sustainable Development Goal 5

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 465
• Main Authors: Yount, Kathryn M, Cheong, Yuk Fai, Khan, Zara, Bergenfeld, Irina, Kaslow, Nadine, Clark, Cari Jo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 08.03.2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abused women; Alignment optimization; Controlling behaviours; Cross-national; Family violence; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Intimate Partner Violence; Measurement invariance testing; Methods; Physical intimate partner violence; Prevalence; Prevention; Psychological aspects; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners - psychology; Social aspects; Sustainable Development; Sustainable development goal 5; Violence; United States; Alignment optimization; Sustainable development goal 5; Controlling behaviours; Physical intimate partner violence; Cross-national; Measurement invariance testing
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12822-9

One third of women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) and potential sequelae. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.2-to eliminate violence against women, including IPV-compels states to monitor such violence. We conducted the first global measurement-invariance assessment of standardised item sets for IPV. Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 36 Lower-/Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) administering 18 IPV items during 2012-2018 were included. Analyses were performed separately for two items sets: lifetime physical IPV (seven items) and controlling behaviours (five items). We performed country-specific exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA). Datasets meeting benchmarks for acceptable item loadings and model-fit statistics were included in multiple-group CFA (MGCFA) to test for exact measurement invariance. Based on findings, alignment optimization (AO) was performed to assess approximate measurement invariance (< 25% of model parameters non-invariant). For each item set, national rankings based on AO-derived scores and on prevalence estimates were compared. AO-derived scores were correlated with type-specific IPV prevalences to assess correspondence. National rates of physical IPV (5.6-50.5%) and controlling behavior (25.9-84.7%) varied. For each item set, item loadings and model-fit statistics were adequate in country-specific, unidimensional EFAs and CFAs. Both unidimensional constructs lacked exact invariance in MGCFA but achieved approximate invariance in AO analysis (12.3% of model parameters for physical IPV and 6.7% for controlling behaviour non-invariant). For both item sets, national rankings based on AO-derived scores were distributed similarly to rankings based on prevalence. However, estimates often were not significantly different cross-nationally, precluding national-level comparisons regardless of estimation strategy. Three physical-IPV items (slap, twist, choke) and two controlling-behaviour items (meet female friends; contact with family) warrant cognitive testing to improve their psychometric properties. Correlations of AO-derived scores for physical IPV (0.48-0.66) and controlling behaviours (0.49-0.87) with prevalences of lifetime physical, sexual, psychological IPV as well as controlling behaviour varied. Seven DHS lifetime physical-IPV items and five DHS controlling-behaviour items were approximately invariant across 36 LMICs spanning five world regions, such that cross-national comparisons of factor means are reasonable. Measurement-invariance testing over time will inform their utility to monitor SDG5.2.1; cross-national, cross-time measurement-invariance testing of improved sexual and psychological IPV item-sets is needed.