Utilizing the Life History Calendar to Examine Trajectories of IPV-Related Help-Seeking over the Life Course Among Older Adult Women

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a common experience among women of all ages; however, current research and interventions tend to target women of child-bearing age. The purpose of this study was to utilize the Life History Calendar (LHC) as a data collection tool to better define IPV-related help-seeking among older adult women.

Methods: Guided by Life Course Theory, the characteristics of trajectories of IPV-related help-seeking were examined among a sample of community-dwelling women aged 60 or older in the Southwest United States (n = 52). Semi-structured retrospective interviews were conducted using the LHC. Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling was conducted to analyze trajectories and examine covariates of IPV-related help-seeking based on age and type of violence experienced. One model was run to examine help-seeking behavior with Level 1 time-varying covariates age, physical violence (contemporaneous), physical violence (cumulative), sexual violence (contemporaneous), sexual violence (cumulative), psychological violence (contemporaneous), psychological violence (cumulative) and Level 2 time invariant covariate age at interview.

Findings: There was a significant positive linear effect of age (OR = 1.12) as well as a significant negative effect of age-squared (OR = 0.99), indicating the probability of seeking help for IPV increased over the early portion of the life course and then declined. The occurrence of IPV of all types significantly affected help-seeking behavior. Across the life course, there was a significant positive linear effect of contemporaneous physical IPV (OR = 2.02) on seeking help, but a significant negative linear effect of cumulative physical IPV (OR = 0.99). That is, in a given year participants were more likely to seek help if they were currently experiencing physical IPV, but were less likely to seek help if they experienced physical IPV in the past and/or for more than one year. There was a significant positive linear effect of contemporaneous psychological IPV (OR = 83.93) and cumulative psychological IPV (OR = 2.36) on help-seeking. That is, participants were likely to seek help for psychological IPV whether they were experiencing it in a given year and/or if they had been experiencing psychological IPV for more than a year. There was a significant negative linear effect of contemporaneous sexual IPV (OR = 0.12) on help-seeking, but a significant positive linear effect of cumulative sexual IPV (OR = 1.14). That is, in a given year participants were less likely to seek help for sexual IPV if they were currently experiencing sexual IPV, but were more likely to seek help if they experienced sexual IPV in the past and/or for more than one year.

Conclusions: Methodological challenges have hindered the calculation of valid estimates of IPV among older adult women. The LHC method allows researchers to use cross-sectional samples to collect retrospective longitudinal data, which is both efficient and cost-beneficial. The trajectory of help-seeking behavior may inform IPV and older adult outreach workers of specific formal and/or informal support systems in which older women are in contact. Additionally, capturing effective help-seeking behavior over the life course may identify valuable resources for referral at different age periods.