A Comparison of Lifetime Interpersonal Violence or Abuse Rates among Mid- to Older-Aged Black and White Females

L. Lauren Brown; Ann L. Coker; Mekeila Cook; Vincent Morelli; R. Lyle Cooper; Maureen Sanderson

doi:10.1353/hpu.2025.a975577

A Comparison of Lifetime Interpersonal Violence or Abuse Rates among Mid- to Older-Aged Black and White Females

L. Lauren Brown, Ann L. Coker, Mekeila Cook, Vincent Morelli, R. Lyle Cooper, Maureen Sanderson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose. Few studies investigate lifetime interpersonal violence or abuse (L-IVA) in a lower-income, primarily minority population or in the southeastern United States, therefore we explored several forms of L-IVA among females by race in the South. Methods. Data on L-IVA were collected between 2012-2015 with 22,570 females residing in 12 states in the southeastern U.S. as part of the Southern Community Cohort Study. Results. After adjusting for differences in age, income, and enrollment source, Black females were 60% less likely to have reported experiencing either adult interpersonal violence or abuse (IVA) or childhood abuse or neglect (CAN) (adjusted rate ratio (aRR)=0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.43) than White females. Conclusions. In our study, 41% of all females reported adult IPV indicating a need to create an environment where females of all races feel comfortable disclosing L-IVA and screening protocols that include clear and culturally responsive definitions of violence and abuse.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1138-1150
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Volume	36
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2025.a975577
State	Published - Nov 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Meharry Medical College.

Funding

Research reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number U01CA202979 and by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under award number U54MD007586. SCCS data collection was performed by the Survey and Biospecimen Shared Resource which is supported in part by the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (P30CA068485). LB acknowledges salary support from the National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH131471).

Funders	Funder number
National Childhood Cancer Registry – National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health (NIH)	U01CA202979
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)	U54MD007586
Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center	P30CA068485
National Institute of Mental Health	K01MH131471

Keywords

Interpersonal violence or abuse
Southern Community Cohort Study
childhood abuse or neglect
race

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1353/hpu.2025.a975577

Cite this

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title = "A Comparison of Lifetime Interpersonal Violence or Abuse Rates among Mid- to Older-Aged Black and White Females",

abstract = "Purpose. Few studies investigate lifetime interpersonal violence or abuse (L-IVA) in a lower-income, primarily minority population or in the southeastern United States, therefore we explored several forms of L-IVA among females by race in the South. Methods. Data on L-IVA were collected between 2012-2015 with 22,570 females residing in 12 states in the southeastern U.S. as part of the Southern Community Cohort Study. Results. After adjusting for differences in age, income, and enrollment source, Black females were 60\% less likely to have reported experiencing either adult interpersonal violence or abuse (IVA) or childhood abuse or neglect (CAN) (adjusted rate ratio (aRR)=0.40; 95\% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.43) than White females. Conclusions. In our study, 41\% of all females reported adult IPV indicating a need to create an environment where females of all races feel comfortable disclosing L-IVA and screening protocols that include clear and culturally responsive definitions of violence and abuse.",

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note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Meharry Medical College.",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1353/hpu.2025.a975577",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

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AU - Coker, Ann L.

AU - Cook, Mekeila

AU - Morelli, Vincent

AU - Cooper, R. Lyle

AU - Sanderson, Maureen

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Meharry Medical College.

PY - 2025/11

Y1 - 2025/11

N2 - Purpose. Few studies investigate lifetime interpersonal violence or abuse (L-IVA) in a lower-income, primarily minority population or in the southeastern United States, therefore we explored several forms of L-IVA among females by race in the South. Methods. Data on L-IVA were collected between 2012-2015 with 22,570 females residing in 12 states in the southeastern U.S. as part of the Southern Community Cohort Study. Results. After adjusting for differences in age, income, and enrollment source, Black females were 60% less likely to have reported experiencing either adult interpersonal violence or abuse (IVA) or childhood abuse or neglect (CAN) (adjusted rate ratio (aRR)=0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.43) than White females. Conclusions. In our study, 41% of all females reported adult IPV indicating a need to create an environment where females of all races feel comfortable disclosing L-IVA and screening protocols that include clear and culturally responsive definitions of violence and abuse.

AB - Purpose. Few studies investigate lifetime interpersonal violence or abuse (L-IVA) in a lower-income, primarily minority population or in the southeastern United States, therefore we explored several forms of L-IVA among females by race in the South. Methods. Data on L-IVA were collected between 2012-2015 with 22,570 females residing in 12 states in the southeastern U.S. as part of the Southern Community Cohort Study. Results. After adjusting for differences in age, income, and enrollment source, Black females were 60% less likely to have reported experiencing either adult interpersonal violence or abuse (IVA) or childhood abuse or neglect (CAN) (adjusted rate ratio (aRR)=0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.43) than White females. Conclusions. In our study, 41% of all females reported adult IPV indicating a need to create an environment where females of all races feel comfortable disclosing L-IVA and screening protocols that include clear and culturally responsive definitions of violence and abuse.

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KW - Southern Community Cohort Study

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KW - race

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A Comparison of Lifetime Interpersonal Violence or Abuse Rates among Mid- to Older-Aged Black and White Females

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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