Introduction
Intimate partner violence and food insecurity are both structural drivers of HIV acquisition,
care, and treatment, but little is known about how the 2 conditions intersect in the
lives of those already living with HIV.
Methods
This study examined cross-sectional baseline data (collected in January 2016–December
2017) from an ongoing trial in southwestern Kenya. Trained interviewers asked enrolled
participants living with HIV aged 18–60 years about household food insecurity (using
the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), intimate partner violence (using an adapted
WHO multicountry study instrument), and sociodemographics. Negative binomial regression
was used to examine the association between food insecurity and partner violence victimization
(among women) or perpetration (among men). Secondary data were analyzed in August
2019–March 2020.
Results
Of 720 participants, more than half of women reported experiencing intimate partner
violence (57.6%) and most men reported perpetrating it (58.4%). Participants reporting
any partner violence had higher Household Food Insecurity Access Scale scores (21.8)
compared with those reporting no violence (21.3, p=0.02). Each categorical change in food insecurity (mild, moderate, severe) was associated
with a 41% increased risk of an additional partner violence episode. In models controlling
for relationship status, wealth, season of interview (lean versus not lean), and baseline
physical health, each 1-point increase in food insecurity was associated with a 6%
higher risk of violence victimization among women and 4% greater risk of men perpetrating
partner violence.
Conclusions
This study highlights the interconnected nature of intimate partner violence and food
insecurity among women and men living with HIV. This relationship suggests that enhancing
food security may be a useful intervention strategy to prevent intimate partner violence
and improve HIV-related health outcomes.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: October 01, 2020
Identification
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© 2020 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
