Intimate partner violence in the relationships of men with disabilities in the United States: relative prevalence and health correlates

Abstract

Despite the growing literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization against people with disabilities, few studies have examined IPV against men with disabilities. This study uses population-based data to examine the prevalence of past-year and lifetime IPV against men with disabilities in the United States in comparison with men without disabilities and women with and without disabilities, compare the demographic characteristics of men with disabilities who reported IPV to those of other men, and examine associations of IPV and disability status with mental and physical health and other health risks among men. Results indicate that, adjusting for demographic characteristics, men with disabilities were more likely to report lifetime IPV than men without disabilities and, among those reporting any lifetime IPV, men with disabilities were more likely to report past-year IPV than both nondisabled men and women. With few exceptions, comparisons of health indicators revealed that men with disabilities reporting lifetime IPV were more likely than other men to report poor health status and to report engaging in health risk behaviors. Directions for future research and programmatic and policy implications of these results are discussed.