Association of Cannabis Use and At-Risk Alcohol Use With Intimate Partner Violence in an Urban ED Sample.
Carol B Cunradi, Raul Caetano, Harrison J Alter and 1 others
PMID 35667891WHAT IT FOUND
Women’s own at-risk drinking and cannabis use strongly predicted intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization.
Men’s own substance use did not predict IPV, but their partner’s hazardous drinking and cannabis use did. Screening both patients and partners is necessary.
Key findings
01Women who reported both at-risk drinking and cannabis use had eightfold increased odds of IPV perpetration and nearly fourfold increased odds of IPV victimization compared to those reporting neither.
02Men’s own at-risk drinking and cannabis use patterns were not associated with their IPV perpetration or victimization in multivariate models.
03Men who reported their spouse/partner engaged in both hazardous drinking and cannabis use had the greatest odds for IPV perpetration and victimization.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences; it is unknown if substance use caused IPV or if IPV led to substance use. Data came from a single urban emergency department serving a low socioeconomic status population, limiting generalizability. Recall bias is possible as participants estimated events over the previous 12 months. Only physical IPV was measured; psychological abuse, sexual coercion, and injury were not assessed. The study did not interview spouses/partners, so reports of partner behavior are one-sided and may be inaccurate. Cannabis use was measured dichotomously, failing to capture frequency or disordered use patterns.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a male patient’s lack of substance use means he is not at risk for IPV involvement. The study found that men’s risk was strongly associated with their partner’s hazardous drinking and cannabis use, even when the men’s own use was not a significant predictor in adjusted models.