Food insecurity and intimate partner violence against women: results from the California Women’s Health Survey

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 914 - 923
• Main Authors: Ricks, Joni L, Cochran, Susan D, Arah, Onyebuchi A, Williams, John K, Seeman, Teresa E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.04.2016
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Black or African American; California; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cultural differences; Domestic violence; Economics and environment; Female; Food; Food security; Food Supply - statistics & numerical data; Health Surveys; Hispanic people; Households; Human subjects; Humans; Logistic Models; Marital Status; Middle Aged; minorities (people); Minority & ethnic groups; Research methodology; Research Papers; risk; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; surveys; Violence; Welfare; women; Women's Health - statistics & numerical data; Womens health; Young Adult; Los Angeles California; United States > US; California; Women; Food insecurity; Race/ethnicity; Intimate partner violence
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980015001986

To investigate the association between food insecurity and intimate partner violence in a population-based sample of heterosexual women. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between three levels of food insecurity and intimate partner violence. Data from 6 years of the California Women's Health Survey. Randomly selected women (n 16 562) aged 18 years and older from the State of California, USA. We found: (i) that African-American women had a higher prevalence of food insecurity and were more likely to report severe intimate partner violence; (ii) a strong positive association between food insecurity and intimate partner violence; (iii) evidence of effect modification of the association between food insecurity and intimate partner violence by marital status; and (iv) higher odds of intimate partner violence among those reporting more severe food insecurity. Food insecurity is an important risk indicator for intimate partner violence among women. Understanding the factors that put women, especially minority women, at greatest risk facilitates intervention development.