It is without question that youth and adult gender based interpersonal violence (GBV) pose formidable threats to public health. Interpersonal violence in general, and gender-related violence in particular, do not occur as isolated phenomena;they are part and parcel of larger syndemic relationships that act in concert to affect multiple aspects of population health and well-being. Certain populations bear a disproportionate burden of gender violence and yet have not benefited from research and appropriate interventions. Immigrant Latinos represent one such vulnerable group. The proposed collaborative team at the George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services is in an excellent position to undertake etiologic research focusing on gender-related violence among immigrant Latino populations. This application to the CDC NCIPC RFA-CE-08-003 thus fulfills the needs expressed in NCIPC research objective #3: Etiologic Research. The goal of this proposed study is to explore the relations between neighborhood- and individual-level characteristics, and interpersonal violence with specific models being developed that link intimate partner violence and gender-related youth violence. We have a unique opportunity to examine the proximate as well as more distal correlates of interpersonal violence building upon the efforts of our current work with the CDC funded SAFER Latinos project. Consistent with the goals and mission of the NCIPC, we propose to work with NCIPC to incorporate a range of disciplines and associated methodologies including the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. We will conduct formative qualitative investigations into the ecological constructs of interest and integrate these findings into a larger quantitative survey of 400 Latinos, 100 from each of the following groups: female youth, male youth, adult females and adult males. The findings from these data collection efforts will be utilized to assess and describe the community problem solving capacity in an immigrant Latino neighborhood to address the identified etiological constructs, and concomitantly to identify capacity building needs. We will assess current evidence-based IPV and other gender related violence interventions to determine their """"""""fit"""""""" vis a vis the model. As a result, gaps in available programming will be identified. Utilizing research perspectives from several social science disciplines, and a conceptual framework adapted from validated program planning and evaluation models, we propose to develop an etiological model and best practices approach that can provide the basis for a community based intervention development.
/ Relevance The proposed study addresses the goals and mission of Healthy People 2010 and the CDC NCIPC. We will develop an ecological etiologic framework for gender related interpersonal violence among immigrant Latino youth and adult populations. An academic/community collaboration will be an integral part of our work to address the community problem solving capacity in an immigrant Latino neighborhood to identify capacity building needs around gender related violence.
