Self-Reports of Health and Early Victimization Experiences As Correlates of Later Intimate Partner Violence

Background: Individuals who identify as Native American, Black, or Hispanic have greater health disparities and experience victimization at higher rates compared to Whites, with differences and overlap in risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. The study purpose was to examine how psychosocial and health risks of victimization aggregate within unique classes of adolescents from three racial/ethnic groups and determine which classes were associated with later IPV victimization. 

Method: Data were taken from Waves 1, 2 and 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Wave 1 included adolescents (grades 7-12) in 1994 and Wave 4 was completed in 2008 when participants were 25-32 years of age. We conducted a separate latent profile analysis (LPA) followed by a multinomial logistic regression for each of the three groups: Native American, Black and Hispanic. The LPA included risk factors for IPV and explored the relative grouping of risk. The multinomial logistic regression, using class probabilities, was conducted to examine class membership’s association with later IPV victimization. Class indicator variables, taken from Wave 1, included depressive symptoms, self-concept, physical health problems, peer and neighborhood victimization, alcohol-related problems, and child physical abuse and neglect. Experiences with physical, psychological, and sexual IPV at Wave 2 and Wave 4 were used as outcomes in the regression models. Age, biological sex and socioeconomic status were included as covariates. Victimization, alcohol problems, and all of the IPV outcomes were dichotomized due to a high percentage of zero responses.

Results: The data revealed a three-class solution for Native American respondents (average risk, n=254; moderate risk, n=41; high risk, n=182) and a four-class solution for both Black (average risk, n=1059; high health/depression, n=90; moderate health/depression, n=595; history of abuse, n=395) and Hispanic (average risk, n=828; moderate health/depression, n=338; history of abuse, n=222; high health/depression, n=56) respondents. Compared to Native American respondents in the average risk class, females were more likely to be in the moderate and high risk groups, and people in the moderate risk group were more likely to report psychological IPV at Wave 2. Compared to Black respondents in the average risk group, those in the moderate health/depression group were more likely to be female and more likely to report physical and psychological IPV at Wave 2 and sexual IPV at Wave 4. Compared to Hispanic respondents in the average risk group, those in the high health/depression group were more likely to be older, of lower socioeconomic status, and female. They were also more likely to report psychological IPV at Wave 2 and sexual IPV at Wave 4.

Conclusion: Several inter-group differences were revealed based on respondents’ health and violence exposures. Being female posed a risk across ethnic minorities, indicating the need to investigate ethnic and gender differences in factors related to health and victimization. The results indicate important differences in the experiences of risk factors and their influence on future experiences of IPV victimization. Interventions should be targeted to risk profiles that are sensitive to ethnic identity and gender.