Intimate partner violence among Canadian women with activity limitations

To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the previous five years among women reporting activity limitations (AL).

A community based, representative telephone survey of Canadians aged 15 and over. AL was assessed by the question: "Does a long term physical or mental condition or health problem reduce the amount or the kind of activity that you can do at home, at school, at work or in other activities?" Response categories were: often, sometimes, or never.

8771 women who had a current/former partner of whom 1483 reported AL.

IPV was reported more often for AL (often or sometimes) compared with no AL women (emotional abuse (27.1, 26.4 v 17.7%, p<0.0001), physical-severe (7.3, 6.7 v 3.6%, p<0.0001), sexual abuse (3.5, 3.6 v 1.4%, p<0.0001)), or any IPV (30.5, 27.8 v 19.6%, p<0.0001). Adjusting for age, marital status, education, income, employment, children in the household, Aboriginal or visible minority status, place of birth, urban or rural residence, region of Canada, time in current residence, and religious attendance, AL women had higher odds of IPV (adjusted odds ratio: AL often=2.12; 95% CI: 1.64, 2.74; AL sometimes: OR=1.64; 95% CI:1.40, 2.29).

These findings call for increased recognition of violence that occurs in the lives of women with AL. This community based study suggests that abuse among those reporting AL is high. Women with AL represent a high risk group to be targeted in terms of IPV prevention and intervention.