title: Factors associated with physical and sexual violence among Canadian women living with physical disabilities.
abstract: We examined victimization data from a Canadian survey of 1,095 women with disabilities to determine the following: a) Who experienced abuse, b) the forms of abuse, and c) the factors associated with abuse. A convenience sample of Canadian women (18 years +) completed a mailed survey. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and types of abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual). Sequential logistic regression was used to determine factors related to physical and/or sexual violence. Those who reported cultural identities other than Canadian (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.12-3.32) were more likely to have reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence, as were those with an annual household income less than $20,000 (OR = 3.21, 95% CI = 1.97-5.25) or between $20,000 and $49,999 (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.29-3.36). Women with two or more health conditions (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.93-5.32) and those who had some or most activities limited by pain were also more likely to report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.08-2.41). In contrast, women who had not received information about sexuality (OR = .68, 95% CI = .42-.96 and older women (OR = .46, 95% CI = .28-.73) were less likely to report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence. Our findings are important to public health professionals and practitioners in the detection and prevention of violence among women living with physical disabilities (WLD).
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy and Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. karen.yoshida@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Odette
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lysy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult