Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern in the United States and has been shown to be highly prevalent during pregnancy, particularly for couples of low socioeconomic status. IPV poses an especially serious problem for pregnant women as it puts both mother and unborn child at risk for severe physical harm, including death. This application proposes an investigation of potential risk factors for IPV in pregnancy, such as alcohol use, stress, infidelity, jealousy, and relationship discord, from both a crosssectional and longitudinal perspective. The overarching theoretical frameork for this study is based on Leonard's conceptual model of substance use and intimate partner violence. This theory proposes that proximal (immediate situational issues such as intoxication) and distal (ongoing, pervasive problems such as relationship dissatisfaction) factors in an overall negative context (such as low socioeconomic status or difficult pregnancy) will precipitate relationship violence. In the proposed study, it is argued that stressors associated with pregnancy in combination with external stressors such as low socioeconomic status creates tenuous circumstances that in the presence of alcohol predispose couples to physical aggression. Additionally, evolutionary theory as discussed by Buss & Duntley's evolved homicide theory and Harris' social-cognitive theory is used to explain the particular risks to violence that pregnant women may face. This theory suggests that the 'violence perpetrated against expectant women is either a) a symptom of the perpetrator's innate desire to protect his reproductive status or b) a product of relational jealousy of the unborn child in which the male partner feels his security in the romantic relationship is threatened by the transition from dyad to triad. While Leonard's conceptual model has been supported in common couples and batterer populations, neither model has been tested in expectant individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation explicitly examining factors that may put pregnant women at increased risk for experiencing intimate partner violence. Expectant women (n=200) attending any one of several sites of a public health clinic system will be invited to participate in order to investigate 1) the extent to which alcohol use, stress, infidelity, jealousy, and relationship dissatisfaction predict intimate partner violence in this sample, and 2) to evaluate the potential moderating effects of alcohol use on the relationships between jealousy and intimate partner violence and stress and intimate partner violence. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31AA016706-01
Application #
7220147
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAA1-HH (70))
Program Officer
Arroyo, Judith A
Project Start
2007-01-01
Project End
2009-12-31
Budget Start
2007-01-01
Budget End
2007-12-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$25,218
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
003387891
City
Knoxville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37996
Flanagan, Julianne C; Gordon, Kristina Coop; Moore, Todd M et al. (2015) Women's Stress, Depression, and Relationship Adjustment Profiles as They Relate to Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum. Psychol Violence 5:66-73
Hellmuth, Julianne C; Gordon, Kristina Coop; Moore, Todd M et al. (2014) The moderating effect of women's alcohol misuse on the relationship between intimate partner violence victimization and postpartum depression. Am J Addict 23:613-5
Hellmuth, Julianne C; Jaquier, VĂ©ronique; Gordon, Kristina Coop et al. (2014) Examining the Prevalence, Bidirectionality, and Co-Occurrence of Sexual Intimate Partner Violence among Women During Pregnancy and Postpartum. Partner Abuse 5:407-419
Hellmuth, Julianne C; Gordon, Kristina Coop; Stuart, Gregory L et al. (2013) Risk factors for intimate partner violence during pregnancy and postpartum. Arch Womens Ment Health 16:19-27
Hellmuth, Julianne C; Leonard, Kenneth E (2013) Methods for Assessing and Addressing Participant Protection Concerns in Intimate Partner Violence Research. Partner Abuse 4:482-493
Hellmuth, Julianne C; Gordon, Kristina Coop; Stuart, Gregory L et al. (2013) Women's intimate partner violence perpetration during pregnancy and postpartum. Matern Child Health J 17:1405-13