Human & Animal Health

NEW PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE: “Assessing primary prevention programs for intimate partner violence: A review of contemporary approaches.”

A systematic review of primary prevention programs for intimate partner violence (IPV) was conducted. Inclusion criteria for studies included publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a representative, community, or clinical sample, written in English, and conducted in the United States. A total of 24 articles were included. All studies included some kind of intervention, such as knowledge and/or behavioral, to change outcomes in IPV perpetration and/or victimization. Of the 24 studies, 16 used experimental designs, with the majority focused on adolescent samples (n = 14).

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: Critical Environmental Injustice and the Distribution of Toxics

Environmental justice research has focused on the distribution of environmental inequalities, such as proximity to landfills, across the U.S. and globally. Background: Public health research and environmental health research, specifically, have focused on toxic exposure—encompassing individuals or communities that are disproportionately exposed to contaminants that are harmful or potentially harmful to them.

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: Examining stress and multiple disaster exposure

Examining stress and multiple disaster exposure: An exploratory analysis of the role of sociodemographic characteristics and disaster preparedness

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and disaster preparedness on both multiple disaster exposure and perceived stress, for residents of the Gulf Coast (United States) at risk of experiencing multiple disasters. Binary logistic regression was conducted using primary survey data collected from 2020 to 2022, which captured two hurricane seasons (n = 807).

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: Intimate Partner Violence and Disasters: A Review

The objective of this study was to review systematically research into intimate partner violence and disasters. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread public health problem that affects an estimated one in three women globally. The increase in frequency and severity of disasters due to climate change is likely to worsen IPV globally due to disruptions to normal life and the stressors they create. To better understand the relationship between IPV and disasters and to support future research, we conducted a literature review to identify and synthesize research on IPV and disaster.

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: Improving Policy and Treatment Interventions for Sexual and Gender Minority Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence to Reduce Adverse Health Outcomes

Intimate partner violence (IPV), understood as physical, sexual, and psychological aggression, is a pernicious health problem that is as or more prevalent in sexual and gender minority (SGM) relationships as in heterosexual and cisgender ones. IPV has many impacts, including physical and psychological health consequences. Effective treatment of abusers is needed to reduce IPV in SGM communities.

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: EXPLAINING DISASTER AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

“Explaining disaster and pandemic preparedness at the nexus of personal resilience and social vulnerability: An exploratory study" published in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 

The purpose of this research was a pilot examination to identify and assess relationships among social vulnerability, personal resilience, and preparedness for a sample of US residents living in the Gulf South, who had experienced climate-related disaster (e.g., hurricanes) and the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW JOURNAL ARTICLE ALERT: INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

This study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence among a sample of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors (n  =  77) who filed for restraining orders in rural Louisiana during the COVID-19 pandemic. IPV survivors were individually interviewed to assess their self-reported levels of perceived stress, resilience, potential PTSD, COVID-19-related experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics. Data were analyzed to differentiate group membership between two groups; non-PTSD and probable PTSD.