Intimate Partner Violence in a Conservative Christian Denomination: Prevalence and Risk Factors

This study examines the prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a Christian denomination. To date, no studies have been found in the literature that looked at IPV in a Christian denomination in South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Little is known regarding how church members from these countries experience victimization from IPV. One 2002 Inter-American Division (IAD) data set provides some insight into IPV; and the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has analyzed cross-sectional data of more than 7,000 SDA respondents from the study area of interest. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to determine if reports of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse could be correctly predicted based on knowledge of age, education, marital status, number of children, marital conflict, depression, substance abuse, self-esteem, spirituality, and/or conservatism. The study findings suggest that the prevalence of IPV among SDA women is comparable to the prevalence in another international study. Marital conflict was the most pervasive predictor for physical and emotional violence, while substance abuse was the strongest indicator of sexual violence. These results have implications for future programs, policies, and research