The impact of intimate partner violence on forgone healthcare: a population-based, multicentre European study

Background: To examine the relationship between forgone healthcare and involvement in intimate partner violence (IPV) as victims, perpetrators or both.

Methods:This cross-sectional multicentre study assessed community non-institutionalized residents (n = 3496, aged 18–64) randomly selected from six European cities: Athens, Budapest, London, Östersund, Porto, Stuttgart. A common questionnaire was used, including self-reports of IPV and forgone healthcare (‘Have you been in need of a certain care service in the past year, but did not seek any help?’). Odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed fitting logistic regression models adjusted for city, chronic disease, self-assessed health status and financial strain.

Results: Participants experiencing past year IPV (vs. no violence) reported more often to forgone healthcare (n = 3279, 18.6% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.016). IPV experienced as both a victim and perpetrator was associated with forgone healthcare (adjusted OR, 95%CI: 1.32, 1.02–1.70).

Conclusion: IPV was associated with forgone healthcare, particularly for those experiencing violence as both victims and perpetrators. Results suggest that preventing IPV among adults may improve timely healthcare uptake.