Food insecurity and men's perpetration of partner violence in a longitudinal cohort in South Africa

Abigail M Hatcher, Torsten B Neilands, Dumisani Rebombo, Sheri D Weiser, Nicola J Christofides, Abigail M Hatcher, Torsten B Neilands, Dumisani Rebombo, Sheri D Weiser, Nicola J Christofides

Abstract

Background: Although food insecurity has been associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), few studies examine it longitudinally or among male perpetrators.

Methods: We used secondary data from a trial that followed 2479 men in a peri-urban settlement in South Africa (February 2016-August 2018). Men self-completed questionnaires at baseline (T0), 12 months (T1) and 24 months (T2) on food security, household type, relationship status, childhood abuse exposure, alcohol use, and perpetration of physical and/or sexual IPV. Cross-lagged dynamic panel modelling examines the strength and direction of associations over time.

Results: At baseline, rates of IPV perpetration (52.0%) and food insecurity (65.5%) were high. Food insecure men had significantly higher odds of IPV perpetration at T0, T1 and T2 (ORs of 1.9, 1.4 and 1.4, respectively). In longitudinal models, food insecurity predicted men's IPV perpetration 1 year later. The model had excellent fit after controlling for housing, relationship status, age, childhood abuse and potential effect of IPV on later food insecurity (standardised coefficient=0.09, p=0.031. root mean squared error of approximation=0.016, comparative fit index=0.994). IPV perpetration did not predict later food security (p=0.276).

Conclusion: Food insecurity had an independent, longitudinal association with men's IPV perpetration in a peri-urban South African settlement. These findings suggest food security could be a modifiable risk factor of partner violence.

Trial registration number: NCT02823288.

Keywords: malnutrition; mental health; preventive counselling.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Men’s intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by food security status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Path diagram for three-wave dynamic panel model of food insecurity to later IPV perpetration (adapted with permission from Allison et al32). All p<0.05, estimates are standardised coefficient, root mean squared error of approximation: 0.016 (0.001 to 0.035), comparative fit index: 0.994. Model accounts for clustering by neighbourhood, age, housing, relationship status, childhood exposure to abuse and bidirectionality of IPV towards later hunger. IPV, intimate partner violence.

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