A Meta-Analysis of Latinx Acculturation and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern that affects many Latinx couples. The present study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively assess acculturation as a predictor of IPV among Latinxs and subgroup analyses to evaluate the effect size by gender and type of acculturation measure. Method: The meta-analysis implemented the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines to retrieve studies assessing the relationship between acculturation and intimate partner victimization among foreign-born and U.S.-born Latinx adults. A fixed effects model (FEM) and a random effects model (REM) were employed. Additional subgroup analyses examined the strength of the relationship by gender and type of acculturation measure. Results: The meta-analysis included 27 independent effect sizes across 21 studies. An REM yielded a weighted average correlation of .11 (95% confidence interval [.02, .20]). The strength of the correlation differed by scale and ranged from −.003 to .47. For both men and women, higher acculturation was associated with increased IPV. Conclusions: Our results yielded three important findings: (1) the overall effect of acculturation on IPV is relatively small, (2) acculturation differentially influences male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence, and (3) the strength of the correlation between acculturation and IPV differs by scale. This body of work provides evidence for the effect of acculturation on IPV, with potential implications for interventions targeting Latinxs.

Prevalence, associated factors and health impact of intimate partner violence against women in different life stages

“…[5,7] It is possible that these gender inequalities, and therefore IPV, are reduced among young immigrants due to the influence of the host country. These gender inequalities could be maintained in the adult immigrant population due to a lower cultural permeability of the adult population in the host society [30] It is also possible that immigrant women have more difficulties escaping situations of violence than native-born women, as shown in prior studies. [10]…”

Intimate Partner Violence, Parenting, and Toddler Behavior among Low-Income Latinx Families

“…Finally, the lack of expected relations in this study (e.g., IPV with parenting and toddler behavior) suggest that the manifestation and outcomes of IPV may be distinct in this population. For example, characteristics of the immigrant Latinx cultural context may affect IPV's impact on families, such as the protective factor of familismo or the risk factor of machismo (Alvarez et al, 2020;Klevens et al, 2007;Sabina et al, 2015).…”

“…Scholars have called for research on the processes related to IPV among Latinx families, including the role of immigration (Alvarez & Fedock, 2018;Gonzalez et al, 2020). The literature points to several cultural factors related to Latinx immigrant women's experience of IPV, such as acculturation, language barriers, and immigration status (Alvarez et al, 2020;González-Guarda et al, 2009;Raj & Silverman, 2002). The limited literature on IPV's effects on Latinx women suggests high rates of depression and PTSD (Rodriguez et al, 2008), but is notably sparse with respect to parenting processes.…”

The Role of Acculturation and Intimate Partner Violence on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Hispanic Youth With Child Welfare Contact

“…Two indicators frequently used as proxies of acculturation when an acculturation scale is not available are nativity and language preference (Alvarez et al, 2018). Researchers studying Hispanic samples have found that these measures are associated with adoption of host cultural practices, an index of acculturation (Schwartz, Pantin, Sullivan, Prado, & Szapocznik, 2006).…”