Food Insecurity and Intimate Partner Violence Among HIV-Positive Individuals in Rural Kenya

Overview

Journal Am J Prev Med

Specialty Public Health

Date 2020 Oct 5

PMID 33012622

Citations 8

Authors

Abigail M Hatcher

Sheri D Weiser

Craig R Cohen

Jill Hagey

Elly Weke

Rachel Burger

Pauline Wekesa

Lila Sheira

Edward A Frongillo

Elizabeth A Bukusi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

Citing Articles

Neurodevelopment among children exposed to HIV and uninfected in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bulterys M, Njuguna I, Mahy M, Gulaid L, Powis K, Wedderburn C J Int AIDS Soc. 2023; 26 Suppl 4:e26159.

PMID: 37909232 PMC: 10618877. DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26159.

Neurodevelopment of children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected in Kenya.

Bulterys M, Njuguna I, Kinge M, Chebet D, Moraa H, Gomez L J Int AIDS Soc. 2023; 26 Suppl 4:e26149.

PMID: 37909174 PMC: 10618871. DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26149.

Food Insecurity and Transmission Risks Among People with HIV Who Use Substances.

Idrisov B, Lunze K, Cheng D, Blokhina E, Gnatienko N, Patts G AIDS Behav. 2023; 27(7):2376-2389.

PMID: 36670209 PMC: 9859749. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03965-2.

Coping Strategies and Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders Among People with HIV Initiating HIV Care in Cameroon.

Parcesepe A, Filiatreau L, Gomez A, Ebasone P, Dzudie A, Pence B AIDS Behav. 2023; 27(7):2360-2369.

PMID: 36609704 PMC: 10224854. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03963-4.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown and link to women and children's experiences of violence in the home in South Africa.

Mahlangu P, Gibbs A, Shai N, Machisa M, Nunze N, Sikweyiya Y BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1029.

PMID: 35597933 PMC: 9123923. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13422-3.

References

Lindhorst T, Oxford M, Gillmore M . Longitudinal effects of domestic violence on employment and welfare outcomes. J Interpers Violence. 2007; 22(7):812-28. PMC: 1952653. DOI: 10.1177/0886260507301477. View

Stets J . Job autonomy and control over one's spouse: a compensatory process. J Health Soc Behav. 1995; 36(3):244-58. View

Cohen C, Steinfeld R, Weke E, Bukusi E, Hatcher A, Shiboski S . Shamba Maisha: Pilot agricultural intervention for food security and HIV health outcomes in Kenya: design, methods, baseline results and process evaluation of a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Springerplus. 2015; 4:122. PMC: 4429425. DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-0886-x. View

Ricks J, Cochran S, Arah O, Williams J, Seeman T . Food insecurity and intimate partner violence against women: results from the California Women's Health Survey. Public Health Nutr. 2015; 19(5):914-23. PMC: 6884316. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980015001986. View

Devries K, Mak J, Garcia-Moreno C, Petzold M, Child J, Falder G . Global health. The global prevalence of intimate partner violence against women. Science. 2013; 340(6140):1527-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.1240937. View

Li Y, Marshall C, Rees H, Nunez A, Ezeanolue E, Ehiri J . Intimate partner violence and HIV infection among women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Int AIDS Soc. 2014; 17:18845. PMC: 3925800. DOI: 10.7448/IAS.17.1.18845. View

Breiding M, Basile K, Klevens J, Smith S . Economic Insecurity and Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Victimization. Am J Prev Med. 2017; 53(4):457-464. PMC: 6426442. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.03.021. View

Weiser S, Bukusi E, Steinfeld R, Frongillo E, Weke E, Dworkin S . Shamba Maisha: randomized controlled trial of an agricultural and finance intervention to improve HIV health outcomes. AIDS. 2015; 29(14):1889-94. PMC: 4573846. DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000781. View

Kabwama S, Bukenya J, Matovu J, Gwokyalya V, Makumbi F, Beyeza-Kashesya J . Intimate partner violence among HIV positive women in care - results from a national survey, Uganda 2016. BMC Womens Health. 2019; 19(1):130. PMC: 6823960. DOI: 10.1186/s12905-019-0831-1. View

10.

Gibbs A, Jewkes R, Willan S, Washington L . Associations between poverty, mental health and substance use, gender power, and intimate partner violence amongst young (18-30) women and men in urban informal settlements in South Africa: A cross-sectional study and structural equation model. PLoS One. 2018; 13(10):e0204956. PMC: 6169941. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204956. View

11.

Hershow R, Ha T, Sripaipan T, Latkin C, Hutton H, Chander G . Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Living with HIV in Northern Vietnam. AIDS Behav. 2020; 24(9):2555-2571. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-020-02813-5. View

12.

Hatcher A, Stockl H, McBride R, Khumalo M, Christofides N . Pathways From Food Insecurity to Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Peri-Urban Men in South Africa. Am J Prev Med. 2019; 56(5):765-772. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2018.12.013. View

13.

Gilbert L, Michalopoulos L, Ma X, Jiwatram-Negron T, Terlikbayeva A, Primbetova S . How Do Risk Environment Factors Influence Perpetration of Partner Violence among Male Migrant and Non-migrant Market Workers in Central Asia?. J Urban Health. 2018; 96(1):83-95. PMC: 6391287. DOI: 10.1007/s11524-018-0312-0. View

14.

Peterson C, Kearns M, McIntosh W, Estefan L, Nicolaidis C, McCollister K . Lifetime Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence Among U.S. Adults. Am J Prev Med. 2018; 55(4):433-444. PMC: 6161830. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2018.04.049. View

15.

Field S, Onah M, van Heyningen T, Honikman S . Domestic and intimate partner violence among pregnant women in a low resource setting in South Africa: a facility-based, mixed methods study. BMC Womens Health. 2018; 18(1):119. PMC: 6030741. DOI: 10.1186/s12905-018-0612-2. View

16.

Courtenay W . Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: a theory of gender and health. Soc Sci Med. 2000; 50(10):1385-401. DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00390-1. View

17.

Conroy A, Cohen M, Frongillo E, Tsai A, Wilson T, Wentz E . Food insecurity and violence in a prospective cohort of women at risk for or living with HIV in the U.S. PLoS One. 2019; 14(3):e0213365. PMC: 6402690. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213365. View

18.

Chirwa E, Sikweyiya Y, Addo-Lartey A, Alangea D, Coker-Appiah D, Adanu R . Prevalence and risk factors of physical or sexual intimate violence perpetration amongst men in four districts in the central region of Ghana: Baseline findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial. PLoS One. 2018; 13(3):e0191663. PMC: 5844513. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191663. View

19.

Hatcher A, Gibbs A, McBride R, Rebombo D, Khumalo M, Christofides N . Gendered syndemic of intimate partner violence, alcohol misuse, and HIV risk among peri-urban, heterosexual men in South Africa. Soc Sci Med. 2019; 295:112637. PMC: 7296316. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112637. View

20.

Diamond-Smith N, Conroy A, Tsai A, Nekkanti M, Weiser S . Food insecurity and intimate partner violence among married women in Nepal. J Glob Health. 2019; 9(1):010412. PMC: 6359930. DOI: 10.7189/jogh.09.010412. View