Violence screening in college health centers: Predictors and missed opportunities Project Summary Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) are significant public health issues for female college students. Female college students, ages 18-25, are significantly more likely to experience SV, compared to men, women of other age groups, and same age women who are not on college campuses. In addition to SV, the highest rates of IPV are also found in this age group. Approximately 1.3 to 5.3 million women experience IPV each year. IPV and SV have immediate health effects such as injuries and death, sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and psychological distress. Long-term health effects include chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety, migraine headaches, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The significance of the problem is reflected in the fact that seven Healthy People 2020 objectives focus on reducing IPV and SV (objectives: Adolescent Health 11.4, Injury and Violence Prevention 39.1-3 & 40.1-3). According to college health care providers' (HCPs) reports, fewer than 37% of college health centers include SV questions in routine intake forms; less than 50% of college HCPs assess for SV during gynecologic visits. Intimate partner violence screening occurs even less often than sexual violence screening. Although a few descriptive studies have examined IPV and SV screening in select settings (e.g., OB/GYN, primary care), all relied exclusively in HCP self-report and none included college health centers. Thus, in order to develop interventions to promote the uptake of routine IPV and SV screening recommendations, in college health centers, the proposed study will utilize a cross-sectional quantitative survey design to explore IPV/SV screening from the perspectives of both HCPs and college women, and identify factors that promote or impede college HCPs' IPV and SV screening behaviors.
For Aim 1, we will examine women's experiences with IPV/SV screening in appointments at college health centers.
Aim 2 will examine college HCPs' reports of IPV/SV screening behaviors and screening-related attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and perceptions of organizational factors that promote or inhibit IPV/SV screening. Finally, Aim 3 will compare the IPV/SV screening rates reported by college HCPs and female college students. At the conclusion of this theoretically driven proposal we will have expanded our understanding of IPV/SV screening from the perspectives of both HCPs and college women, and will have identified modifiable and non-modifiable factors for intervention development.

Public Health Relevance

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) are significant public health issues in the United States. Female college students are significantly more likely to experience SV, compared to men, women of other age groups, and same age women who are not on college campuses; the highest rates of IPV are also found in this age group. This theoretically driven proposal will utilize a cross-sectional quantitative survey design to explore violence screening from the perspectives of both college health care providers (HCPs) and college women, and identify factors that promote or impede college HCPs' violence screening behaviors.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
1R03HD080195-01A1
Application #
8822621
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Newcomer, Susan
Project Start
2014-12-01
Project End
2016-11-30
Budget Start
2014-12-01
Budget End
2015-11-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$86,286
Indirect Cost
$31,151
Name
Boston College
Department
Type
Schools of Nursing
DUNS #
045896339
City
Chestnut Hill
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02467
Fantasia, Heidi Collins; Sutherland, Melissa A; Hutchinson, M Katherine (2018) Lifetime and Recent Experiences of Violence Among College Women. J Forensic Nurs 14:190-197
Sutherland, Melissa A; Hutchinson, M Katherine (2018) Intimate partner and sexual violence screening practices of college health care providers. Appl Nurs Res 39:217-219