title: Timing of Intimate Partner Violence in Relationship to Military Service Among Women Veterans.
abstract: Women U.S. military veterans report higher rates of lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with women who have never served in the military. However, we know little about the timing of IPV exposure relative to military service. To begin to understand the relationship between military service and IPV experience, we conducted surveys with 249 women military veterans seeking care at a Veterans Affairs medical center about experiences of physical, psychological, and sexual IPV before, during, and after military service. Additionally, we examined the association between deployment and IPV experience during and after military service. Findings indicated that women experienced IPV during each time period (before/during/after military service), with significant overlap of experiencing IPV during more than one time period and one-third (34.6%) experiencing IPV during all three time periods. Compared to those who were not deployed, women who had been deployed reported increased odds of experiencing psychological, but not physical or sexual, IPV during (but not after) military service. Implications of study findings for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Building 4100 (Annex), Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: Melissa E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dichter
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Building 4100 (Annex), Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Building 4100 (Annex), Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: Gala
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: True
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult