Impact of intimate partner violence on health in Asian Indian immigrant women
by Munisamy, Geetha, Ph.D., ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, 2009, 107 pages; 3370873

Abstract:

The current research aimed to establish an annual rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of first generation Asian Indian immigrant women residing in the United States. A model comprised of culture and immigrant specific risk factors was constructed and evaluated as predictors of abuse. The third aim was to explore culture and immigrant specific predictors of poor general health outcomes in this sample. Method: An Internet online survey was used to reach out to the current sample (n=98) of married Asian Indian immigrant women residing in the US. The participants were from 17 states across India, residing in 27 US states. Standardized questionnaires including the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS-2) and the SF-36 v2 were used as respective measures of abuse and self-reported health. A demographics questionnaire was designed to tap into specific health related information, culture and immigrant specific variables. Results: As predicted, the annual rate of IPV in the current sample was much higher (46.9%) than that of US general population estimates. Majority of abused women also engaged in aggressive behaviors against their spouses. When examining the model of culture and immigration specific variables as predictors of abuse, only immigration status was a significant predictor of abuse. Abused women differed significantly to their counterparts with regards to self-reported health, with significantly lower scores on the SF-36 v2 questionnaire. Psychological abuse more than physical or sexual abuse predicted poor health outcomes. Conclusion : High intimate partner violence among Asian Indian immigrant women is a cause for serious concern. The findings suggest that there is a cycle of violence in the family with aggression by both partners that is an ongoing aspect of the marital relationship. This merits further research especially as the abuse was related to poor self-reported health. The use of the Internet as a methodology to engage this elusive population was moderately successful.

 
AdviserTamara G. Sher
SchoolILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
SourceDAI/B 70-08, p. , Oct 2009
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsWomen's studies; Clinical psychology; Ethnic studies; Physiological psychology
Publication Number3370873
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