title: Intimate partner violence and physical and mental health among women utilizing community health services in Gujarat, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health threat which causes injury and acute and chronic physical and mental health problems. In India, a high percentage of women experience IPV. The purposes of this study include 1) to describe the lifetime prevalence of IPV, and 2) to examine the association between IPV and physical and mental health well-being, among women utilizing community health services for the economically disadvantaged in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women utilizing community health services (N = 219) aged between 18 and 62 years completed a self-administered survey in Gujarat, India. Standardized instruments were used to measure perceived physical and mental health well-being. In addition, participants were asked about their lifetime experience with IPV, and socio-demographic questions. Analysis was restricted to the ever-married participants who completed the questions on IPV (N = 167).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with a lifetime history of IPV were more likely to have reported poorer physical and mental health compared to those without a lifetime history of IPV. More than half of the participants with an IPV history experienced multiple types of IPV (physical, sexual and/or emotional IPV). While being in the highest caste was a significant positive factor associated with better health, caste and other socio-demographic factors were not associated with IPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women in India face risk of IPV. Yet those experiencing IPV do not seek help or rely on informal help sources. Community health organizations may take a role in IPV prevention and intervention. Diversity of intervention options would be important to encourage more women with IPV experience to seek help.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA. akiko.kamimura@utah.edu.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamimura
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ganta
authors.forename: Kyl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003151:Community Health Centers; D003153:Community Health Services; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult