RESEARCH ARTICLE


Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Relationships to Sexual Risk-Related Behaviors Among College Students



Montana Gill1, Regine Haardörfer1, Michael Windle1, Carla J. Berg2, *
1 Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
2 Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health; George Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C, USA


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Creative Commons License
© 2020 Gill et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health; George Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, #7000C, Washington, DC 20052; Tel: 404-558-5395; E-mail: carlaberg@gwu.edu.


Abstract

Background:

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health concern, often initially experienced in young adulthood; IPV has been associated with adverse sexual health and sexual risk outcomes.

Objective:

This study examined 1) correlates of experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and 2) IPV in relation to sexual risk-related behaviors among college students.

Methods:

We analyzed 2016 cross-sectional survey data regarding sociodemographics, past IPV experiences, and sexual risk-related behaviors (sex after drug/alcohol use, condomless sex) among male and female students aged 18-25 from seven Georgia colleges/universities, respectively.

Results:

IPV victimization was associated with being Black, greater depressive symptoms, and substance use. Multivariable regression, including sociodemographic covariates, indicated that alcohol/drug use before the last sex was associated with sexual and physical aggression victimization among men (Nagelkerke R-squared=.155), but with fewer negotiation experiences and more injury experiences among women (Nagelkerke R-squared=.107). Condom less sex at last intercourse was associated with psychological aggression experiences among women (Nagelkerke R-squared=.125), but with no IPV factor among men (Nagelkerke R-squared=.188).

Conclusion:

The distinct relationships between IPV and sexual risk among men and women underscore the need for targeted prevention interventions.

Keywords: Young adults, Sexual health, Intimate partner violence, College students, Sexual risk, Psychological aggression, Sexual risk, Psychological aggression.