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Bridging Prevention and Health: Exploring Community Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Honduras

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Abstract

This qualitative study rooted in community-based participatory research principles utilized semi-structured interviews with 2 focus groups (n = 9) with female healthcare volunteers (FCVs) and 3 male key informants who were community leaders (MCLs). The study aimed to examine how a rural Honduran community defines and responds to intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to lay the foundation for future interventions. Based on grounded theory, the authors assessed for common themes across transcripts. Authors found that a number of participants denied the existence of IPV. Perspectives on the causes and definitions of IPV varied between FCVs and MCLs. All participants affirmed the need for intervention and many participants mentioned healthcare and legal systems as potential venues to ameliorate IPV. The results highlight potentially important differences between FCV and MCL perspectives that may inform future interventions. Findings suggest healthcare workers can play a role in IPV prevention and intervention in rural Honduras.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Eric Caine and Dr. Yeates Conwell and the University of Rochester Department of Psychiatry. Additional funding was provided by the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization. Catherine Cerulli is funded by a K01 from the NIMH. Diane Morse is funded by a T-32 NIMH-MH8911; PI-Eric Caine, MD. We also acknowledge the University of Rochester Department of Family Medicine including Dr. Douglas Stockman and Dr. Lindsay Phillips for their collaboration and their ongoing support of the San José community. We would also like to acknowledge Cinthia Alcantara, Pedro Calderon-Arderto, Daniel Abud and Joseph Gardella for their technical assistance in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA

    Javeed Sukhera & Catherine Cerulli

  2. Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA

    Barbara A. Gawinski

  3. Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA

    Diane Morse

Authors
  1. Javeed Sukhera
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  2. Catherine Cerulli
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  3. Barbara A. Gawinski
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  4. Diane Morse
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Correspondence to Javeed Sukhera.

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Sukhera, J., Cerulli, C., Gawinski, B.A. et al. Bridging Prevention and Health: Exploring Community Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Honduras. J Fam Viol 27, 707–714 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9454-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9454-0

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