Project 178443

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects approximately 25% Canadian women and has significant long-term health consequences. One way that IPV and other forms of violence affect health is through traumatic stress. Stress is one factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among Canadian women. Recent research suggests that women who have left abusive partners have very high rates of preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The stress of IPV is thought to affect physical health through mental health, particularly depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another way IPV may affect cardiac health is by affecting personal health practices such as smoking and exercise. A history of child abuse may also increase vulnerability to the physical health effects of adult abuse experiences. This study will explore how the relationships between IPV and cardiovascular health are affected by child abuse history, PTSD, depression, and personal health practices. A model of the relationships among these factors will be developed and tested using statistical modeling techniques. Data to be used in this analysis is currently being collected in the CIHR funded Women's Health Effects Study a longitudinal prospective study of 309 Canadian women survivors of IPV living three provinces (NB, ON, BC). Understanding the associations among lifetime abuse, depression, PTSD, personal health practices and cardiovascular disease is important for determining why some women who have left abusive partners experience cardiovascular disease and others do not. These findings will begin to fill the gap in our understanding of factors that influence the cardiovascular health of women, particularly those who have experienced abuse in their lifetimes. A better grasp of how IPV affects the cardiovascular health of women is needed to direct the development of prevention and treatment programs and policies to improve the health of women.