TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Syndemic factors and lifetime bidirectional intimate partner violence among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men JO - LGBT health A1 - Kirschbaum, Allison L. A1 - Metheny, Nicholas A1 - Skakoon-Sparling, Shayna A1 - Grace, Daniel A1 - Yakubovich, Alexa R. A1 - Cox, Joseph A1 - Palachi, Aaron A1 - Sang, Jordan M. A1 - O'Campo, Patricia A1 - Tan, Darrell H. S. A1 - Hart, Trevor A. SP - S89 EP - S97 VL - 10 IS - S1 N2 - PURPOSE: Bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV), the reporting of both IPV victimization and perpetration, is likely the most common form of violence among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men (GBM) and is thought to be part of a larger syndemic of stressors. This purpose of this study was to examine associations between syndemic factors and lifetime bidirectional IPV among GBM in three Canadian cities to inform future interventions.

METHODS: Data from GBM (N = 2449) were used to fit three logistic regression models with lifetime bidirectional IPV as the outcome and four syndemic factors (i.e., depressive symptomatology, childhood sexual abuse [CSA], illegal drug use, and alcohol misuse) as independent variables. Model 1 examined syndemic factors individually. Model 2 employed a summative scale of syndemic exposure. Model 3 used marginal analysis to examine the relative excess risk of each potential iteration of the syndemic.

RESULTS: Thirty-one percent (N = 762) of respondents reported lifetime bidirectional IPV. Each of the syndemic factors were significantly associated with greater odds of reporting bidirectional IPV (Model 1). Model 2 exhibited a dose-response relationship between the number of syndemic factors reported and bidirectional IPV. Model 3 suggested that the specific combination of depressive symptomatology, CSA, and alcohol misuse resulted in the highest risk of lifetime bidirectional IPV.

CONCLUSION: Bidirectional IPV was common in this sample and was associated with a complex interplay of stressors. However, there may be opportunities to target interventions to the specific syndemic issues in an effort to prevent and mitigate this form of IPV in GBM.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2325-8292 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2023.0117 ID - ref1 ER -