Issues in estimating the prevalence of intimate partner violence: assessing the impact of abuse status on participation bias

J Interpers Violence. 2003 Sep;18(9):959-74. doi: 10.1177/0886260503255283.

Abstract

This study examines the potential implications of household interviews on participation bias for estimates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using a variety of scales, IPV prevalence for the 135 women interviewed in a street-intercept survey was compared with the IPV prevalence of a subsample of these women who reported willingness to participate in a household survey with their partner in another room or when their partner also would be interviewed. A potential self-selection bias showed an 8% to 13% deflated prevalence of moderate to highly abused women and a 8% to 11% inflated prevalence of nonabused women among this subsample who would willingly participate in a household survey. Understanding who is included in household surveys, and who is not, is essential to compute and interpret national prevalence estimates for IPV.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Battered Women / psychology
  • Battered Women / statistics & numerical data*
  • Bias
  • Crime Victims / psychology
  • Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • New York / epidemiology
  • Patient Participation / psychology
  • Patient Participation / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Sexual Partners
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology
  • Spouse Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Truth Disclosure*
  • Women's Health
  • Young Adult