-
Campbell Systematic Reviews Mar 2021Survey research and analysis of police records, hospital emergency rooms, and women's shelters have clearly established the severity of the intimate partner violence... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Survey research and analysis of police records, hospital emergency rooms, and women's shelters have clearly established the severity of the intimate partner violence problem and the need to find programs to address this issue. Roughly 1 in 4 women in an intimate relationship is a victim of intimate partner violence. Court-mandated batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have been implemented throughout the United States as a leading method to address this problem. These programs are also now implemented in Canada and Europe. These programs emerged from the women's shelter movement leading to programs with a strong feminist orientation, such as the Duluth Model. The programs that were developed were group-based and relied on psychoeducational methods. Their aim was to get men to take responsibility for their sexist beliefs and stop abusing their partners by teaching them alternative responses for handling their anger. More recent programs draw from cognitive-behavioral therapeutic principles or a mix of the latter with feminist components as well.
OBJECTIVES
This is an update of our prior review. The aim was to assess the effects of postarrest court-mandated interventions for intimate partner violence offenders that target, in part or exclusively, male batterers. Our focus was on studies aimed at reducing intimate partner violence, above and beyond what would have been expected by routine legal procedures (e.g., probation monitoring, etc.).
SEARCH METHODS
We searched numerous databases and websites, bibliographies of published reviews of related literature, and a scrutiny of annotated bibliographies of related literature. Our goal was to identify all published and unpublished literature that met our selection criteria. The original review identified nine eligible studies. The updated search identified two new studies. The total sample size across these 11 studies was 4824.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included experimental (random assignment) and quasi-experimental evaluations of court-mandated BIPs that measured official or victim reports of future intimate partner violence. Rigorous quasi-experimental designs were defined as those that either used matching or statistical controls to improve the comparability of the treated (program) and untreated (comparison) groups. The original review also included quasi-experimental designs that used treatment drop-outs as the comparison group. Given the serious selection bias of such studies, these have not been included in this update.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We coded characteristics of the treatment, sample, outcomes, and research methods. Findings were extracted in the form of an effect size and effect sizes were analyzed using the inverse-variance weight method of meta-analysis. Official report and victim report outcomes were analyzed separately as were the different design types (i.e., random assignment and quasi-experimental designs with a no treatment comparison).
RESULTS
The mean effect for official reports of intimate partner violence from experimental studies showed a modest (but statistically nonsignificant) benefit for the program group (odds ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.49-1.28], = 7) whereas the mean effect for victim reported outcomes showed equal outcomes for both groups (e.g., no benefit or harm; odds ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, [0.74-1.32], = 7). The quasi-experimental studies showed a small but not statistically significant benefit for the program group on official reports (odds ratio, 0.54; 95% CI [0.24-1.22], = 7). One quasi-experiment reported a nonsignificant effect for a victim report outcome (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% CI [0.50-6.14], = 1). None of the analyses were statistically significant. Thus, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that these programs are effective. Both the official measure and the victim reported measures have potential sources of bias, increasing the uncertainty regarding any benefits or harms related to these programs.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The findings, we believe, raise doubts about the effectiveness of court-mandated BIPs in reducing re-assault among men convicted of misdemeanor intimate partner violence. New programs and/or entirely new approaches to this important social problem should be explored.
PubMed: 37133255
DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1151 -
International Journal of Environmental... Oct 2021The increasing pattern of colorectal cancer (CRC) in specific geographic region, compounded by interaction of multifactorial determinants, showed the tendency to... (Review)
Review
The increasing pattern of colorectal cancer (CRC) in specific geographic region, compounded by interaction of multifactorial determinants, showed the tendency to cluster. The review aimed to identify and synthesize available evidence on clustering patterns of CRC incidence, specifically related to the associated determinants. Articles were systematically searched from four databases, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOHost. The approach for identification of the final articles follows PRISMA guidelines. Selected full-text articles were published between 2016 and 2021 of English language and spatial studies focusing on CRC cluster identification. Articles of systematic reviews, conference proceedings, book chapters, and reports were excluded. Of the final 12 articles, data on the spatial statistics used and associated factors were extracted. Identified factors linked with CRC cluster were further classified into ecology (health care accessibility, urbanicity, dirty streets, tree coverage), biology (age, sex, ethnicity, overweight and obesity, daily consumption of milk and fruit), and social determinants (median income level, smoking status, health cost, employment status, housing violations, and domestic violence). Future spatial studies that incorporate physical environment related to CRC cluster and the potential interaction between the ecology, biology and social determinants are warranted to provide more insights to the complex mechanism of CRC cluster pattern.
Topics: Cluster Analysis; Colorectal Neoplasms; Housing; Humans; Incidence; Spatial Analysis
PubMed: 34639786
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910486 -
Reproductive Health Dec 2019Domestic violence is common public health problem. Domestic violence related disclosure is an important first step in the process of prevention, control and treatments... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Domestic violence is common public health problem. Domestic violence related disclosure is an important first step in the process of prevention, control and treatments of domestic violence related adverse effect. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of domestic violence related disclosure and synthesize its associated factors.
METHODS
We followed the PRISMA Guidelines to report the results of the finding. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Sciences were searched. The heterogeneity between studies was measured by the index of heterogeneity (I statistics) test. Funnel plots and Egger's test were used to determine publication bias. Moreover, sensitivity analysis was carried out. To calculate the pooled prevalence, a random effects model was utilized.
RESULTS
Twenty one eligible studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of domestic violence related non-disclosure was found to be 36.2% (95% CI, 31.8-40.5%). Considering violence as normal or not serious, shame, embarrassment and fear of disclosure related consequences were the common barriers for non-disclosure.
CONCLUSION
More than one third of women and girls were not disclosed their experience of domestic violence. The finding of this study suggests the need of evaluation and strengthening of the collaborative work among different sectors such as: policy-makers, service providers, administrative personnel and community leaders including the engagement of men partner. This study also suggests the needs of women empowerments against the traditional belief, attitude, and practice.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Disclosure; Domestic Violence; Ethiopia; Female; Humans; Prevalence; Sexual Partners
PubMed: 31870388
DOI: 10.1186/s12978-019-0845-z -
Journal of Family Violence Mar 2023Computational text mining methods are proposed as a useful methodological innovation in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) research. Text mining can offer researchers... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Computational text mining methods are proposed as a useful methodological innovation in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) research. Text mining can offer researchers access to existing or new datasets, sourced from social media or from IPV-related organisations, that would be too large to analyse manually. This article aims to give an overview of current work applying text mining methodologies in the study of IPV, as a starting point for researchers wanting to use such methods in their own work.
METHODS
This article reports the results of a systematic review of academic research using computational text mining to research IPV. A review protocol was developed according to PRISMA guidelines, and a literature search of 8 databases was conducted, identifying 22 unique studies that were included in the review.
RESULTS
The included studies cover a wide range of methodologies and outcomes. Supervised and unsupervised approaches are represented, including rule-based classification ( = 3), traditional Machine Learning ( = 8), Deep Learning ( = 6) and topic modelling ( = 4) methods. Datasets are mostly sourced from social media ( = 15), with other data being sourced from police forces ( = 3), health or social care providers ( = 3), or litigation texts ( = 1). Evaluation methods mostly used a held-out, labelled test set, or k-fold Cross Validation, with Accuracy and F1 metrics reported. Only a few studies commented on the ethics of computational IPV research.
CONCLUSIONS
Text mining methodologies offer promising data collection and analysis techniques for IPV research. Future work in this space must consider ethical implications of computational approaches.
PubMed: 37358974
DOI: 10.1007/s10896-023-00517-7 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Jan 2024The aim of this systematic review was to assess the magnitude of the association between types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health outcomes and shed... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The aim of this systematic review was to assess the magnitude of the association between types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health outcomes and shed light on the large variation in IPV prevalence rates between low- to middle-income countries and high-income countries. The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. The following databases were searched for this study: Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts. The inclusion criteria for this study are as follows: quantitative studies published from 2012 to 2020 on IPV exposure in women aged 16+, using validated measures. Random effects meta-analyses and subgroup analysis exploring heterogeneity across population groups in different economic contexts are used in this study. In all, 201 studies were included with 250,599 women, primarily from high-income countries. Higher prevalence rates were reported for women's lifetime IPV than past year IPV. Lifetime psychological violence was the most prevalent form of IPV. Women in the community reported the highest prevalence for physical, psychological, and sexual violence in the past year compared to clinical groups. Perinatal women were most likely to have experienced lifetime physical IPV. Prevalence rates differed significantly ( = .037 to <.001) for "any IPV" and all subtypes by income country level. Meta-analysis suggested increased odds for all mental health outcomes associated with IPV including depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04-3.14), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR = 2.15-2.66), and suicidality (OR = 2.17-5.52). Clinical and community populations were exposed to high prevalence of IPV and increased likelihood of depression, PTSD, and suicidality. Future research should seek to understand women's perspectives on service/support responses to IPV to address their mental health needs. Work with IPV survivors should be carried out to develop bespoke services to reduce IPV in groups most at risk such as pregnant and/or help-seeking women.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Prevalence; Intimate Partner Violence; Violence; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Outcome Assessment, Health Care
PubMed: 36825800
DOI: 10.1177/15248380231155529 -
Translational Psychiatry Feb 2021Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for chronic and severe mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis... (Review)
Review
Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for chronic and severe mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that maltreatment is associated with epigenetic changes that may subsequently serve as mechanisms of disease. The current review uses a systematic approach to identify and summarize the literature related to childhood maltreatment and alterations in DNA methylation in humans. A total of 100 empirical articles were identified in our systematic review of research published prior to or during March 2020, including studies that focused on candidate genes and studies that leveraged epigenome-wide data in both children and adults. Themes arising from the literature, including consistent and inconsistent patterns of results, are presented. Several directions for future research, including important methodological considerations for future study design, are discussed. Taken together, the literature on childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation underscores the complexity of transactions between the environment and biology across development.
Topics: Adult; Child; Child Abuse; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Epigenome; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33608499
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01207-y -
Global Health Action Dec 2022Th Ebola virus is known as one of the deadliest pathogens to infect humans. Children represent a minority of Ebola Virus Disease cases globally. Yet, the different Ebola... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Th Ebola virus is known as one of the deadliest pathogens to infect humans. Children represent a minority of Ebola Virus Disease cases globally. Yet, the different Ebola outbreaks in Africa had a wide impact on children's lives and children' rights.
OBJECTIVE
Review the published literature to date on Children's rights during Ebola outbreaks. Outcomes shall contribute to get a better understanding of the main limitations or violations of children's rights, identify potential gaps in the literature and support the promotion and protection of children's rights for current and future health crisis.
METHODS
A scoping review from PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library and Web of Science was performed using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Articles, reports and editorial, published on Ebola Outbreaks between 1976 and 2020 were retrieved. The UNCRC clusters of rights and treaty specific guidelines were used as a framework. Documents were found through a targeted search of websites from international or regional organisations involved in Ebola crises and children's protection.
RESULTS
48 articles and reports were reviewed. Few documents focused solely on children's rights. Several articles covered the topic of children and Ebola outbreaks. Most of the data are linked to basic health, education, discrimination of orphans and survivors. 31% of the reviewed articles underline the violence against the children (rape, abuse, Female genital mutilations), while 21% focus on the right to education. 23% cover the topic of orphans. Impact on mental health and SRH were amongst the other covered topics.
CONCLUSION
A lack of data on children's rights and their violations during epidemics is observed. Regional and international collaboration is needed to document the situation of children in health emergencies. Health measures and strategies based on children's opinions and raising awareness of their crucial role in society is key. Child-centred guidelines should be developed based on these elements.
Topics: Child; Child Abuse; Epidemics; Female; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola; Humans; Mental Health; Violence
PubMed: 35506948
DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2022.2061240 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2021Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects outcomes of mothers and their offspring. This systematic review collated the worldwide literature on the prevalence rates of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects outcomes of mothers and their offspring. This systematic review collated the worldwide literature on the prevalence rates of different types of IPV in pregnancy. Two reviewers independently identified cross sectional and cohort studies of IPV prevalence in pregnancy in online databases (PubMed, WOS and Scopus), selected and extracted data [participants' country, study quality, measurement tool (validation and purpose) and rates of IPV in pregnancy]. We considered a high quality study if it had a prospective design, an adequate sampling method, a sample size estimation, a response rate > 90%, a contemporary ascertainment of IPV in the index pregnancy, and a well-developed detailed IPV tool. We performed random effects meta-analysis and explored reasons for heterogeneity of rates. One hundred fifty-five studies were included, of which 44 (28%) met two-thirds of the quality criteria. Worldwide prevalence of physical (126 studies, 220,462 participants), psychological (113 studies, 189,630 participants) and sexual (98 studies, 155,324 participants) IPV in pregnancy was 9.2% (95% CI 7.7-11.1%, I 95.9%), 18.7% (15.1-22.9%, I 98.2%), 5.5% (4.0-7.5%, I 93.4%), respectively. Where several types of IPV were reported combined, the prevalence of any kind of IPV (118 studies, 124,838 participants) was 25.0% (20.3, 30.5%, I 98.6%). IPV rates varied within and between continents, being the highest in Africa and the lowest in Europe ( < 0.001). Rates also varied according to measurement purpose, being higher for diagnosis than for screening, in physical ( = 0.022) and sexual ( = 0.014) IPV. IPV prevalence in pregnancy varies across countries, with one-quarter of mothers exposed on average globally. Routine systematic antenatal detection should be applied worldwide. identifier: CRD42020176131.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Intimate Partner Violence; Mothers; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 34527656
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.738459 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2021Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global epidemic which 30% of women experience world-wide. Domestic violence has serious health consequences, with an estimated cost...
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global epidemic which 30% of women experience world-wide. Domestic violence has serious health consequences, with an estimated cost of 1.7 billion annually to the NHS. However, healthcare professionals remain uncertain on how to manage IPV. In 2007, the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) was introduced within primary care to address this shortcoming. The aim of this project is to analyse the impact of IRIS, whilst discussing the extension into secondary care. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google scholar. The official IRIS publication list for randomized controlled trial data. General practices with IRIS displayed a threefold increase in the identification of IPV and sevenfold increase in referrals. IRIS is cost-effective and under the NICE threshold of GBP 20,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained. Additionally, a systematic review illustrated that one in six women presenting to the fracture clinic experienced IPV within the last year. The implementation of IRIS into general practice proved to be cost-effective. Orthopaedic fracture clinics are at the forefront of dealing with IPV, and therefore an adapted IRIS programme within this setting has potential in the prevention of IPV.
Topics: Domestic Violence; Female; General Practice; Humans; Intimate Partner Violence; Primary Health Care; Referral and Consultation
PubMed: 34070518
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115653 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Oct 2023Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) are public health issues of global concern. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a commonly occurring form... (Review)
Review
Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) are public health issues of global concern. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a commonly occurring form of VAW and there is evidence to suggest that IPV and VAC frequently co-occur within the same families. This systematic literature review searched for studies published in any language between 1 January 2000 to 16 February 2021 and identified 33 studies that provided findings for co-occurring IPV and VAC in 24 low- and middle-income countries (PROSPERO: CRD42020180179). These studies were split into subgroups based on the types of co-occurring violence they present and meta-analyses were conducted to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) within these subgroups. Our results indicate a significant association between IPV and VAC, with all pooled ORs showing a significant positive association between the two. Almost half of the studies focused exclusively on co-occurrence between male-to-female IPV and female caregiver-to-child VAC; few authors reported on male caregiver-to-child violence. Only three studies identified risk factors for co-occurring IPV and VAC, and those that did suggested conflicting findings on the risks associated with maternal age, alcohol and drug use, and parental education level. We also found incongruity in the violence definitions and measurements used across studies. Future research should aim to develop more consistent definitions and measurements for co-occurrence and move beyond solely examining dyadic and unidirectional violence occurrence in families; this will allow us to better understand the interrelationships between these different forms of abuse.
Topics: Female; Male; Humans; Child; Developing Countries; Violence; Intimate Partner Violence; Child Abuse; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35481390
DOI: 10.1177/15248380221082943