Risk Factors for Recent Intimate Partner Violence among Methamphetamine-Using Men and Women

ABSTRACT

The Substance Abuse, Violence, and HIV/AIDS (SAVA) syndemic model describes how the confluence of the three epidemics of substance abuse, violence, and HIV risk work synergistically to create excess burden among populations. We sought to identify risk factors associated with recent intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among heterosexual methamphetamine (meth)-using men (n = 108) and women (n = 122) enrolled in FASTLANE-II, an HIV behavioral intervention in San Diego, CA. Women and men reported high rates of physical-only (women: 20%; men: 18%) and sexual (women: 25%; men: 23%) IPV. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that individuals who reported lower social support and individuals who reported a greater likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors while high on meth were more likely to report IPV versus no IPV. Women who reported a greater likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors while high on meth were 1.58 times more likely to report physical-only IPV versus no IPV, while men who reported similar behaviors were 1.15 times more likely to report physical-only IPV versus no IPV. Our findings highlight the influence of interpersonal factors on IPV. This research supports further study on gender-specific risk/protective factors and the development of gender-specific interventions targeting the SAVA syndemic among meth users.

KEYWORDS:

• Drug use
• gender differences
• intimate partner violence
• methamphetamine
• SAVA syndemic

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Michael W. Ross Ph.D., M.D., University of Texas, School of Public Health in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, for reviewing this manuscript in preparation for submission and publication.

Funding

Grant support for this research was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant #R01MH061146, Patterson TL; Grant #R25MH080665, Stockman JK; Grant #R25MH080664, Stockman JK), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #K01DA031593, Stockman JK; Grant #R25DA025571, Stockman JK; Grant #R36DA03901201, Hayashi HD), and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Grant #L60MD003701, Stockman JK). The National Institutes of Health had no further role in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, or the writing and submission of this manuscript. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

Grant support for this research was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant #R01MH061146, Patterson TL; Grant #R25MH080665, Stockman JK; Grant #R25MH080664, Stockman JK), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #K01DA031593, Stockman JK; Grant #R25DA025571, Stockman JK; Grant #R36DA03901201, Hayashi HD), and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Grant #L60MD003701, Stockman JK). The National Institutes of Health had no further role in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, or the writing and submission of this manuscript. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institutes of Health.