Testing a model of domestic abuse against older women and barriers to help-seeking

The proposed research focuses on how older women in the community experience and internalize domestic abuse, and tests a Barriers to Help-Seeking (BHS) model based on results of the earlier study and two existing models, i.e., the Theoretical Model of Elder Mistreatment (National Research Council, 2003) and the Grigsby & Hartman Model (1997). Data from 450 older women representing race/ethnicities of Hispanic, African American non-Hispanic and White non-Hispanic will undergo a series of structural equation and regression analyses. Face-to-face interviews will be used to clarify relationships identified between abuser behaviors and help-seeking barriers. Interview data will be analyzed using ATLAS qualitative data analysis software. Specific aims for the project are: Aim 1: Using a model derived from the DVAOW study that describes the relationships of an abuser's behaviors to an elder victim's internal and external perception of barriers to help-seeking, determine which indicators, and in what arrangement with the underlying factors, will provide the best fit of an overarching Barriers to Help-Seeking model. Aim 2: Describe the relationships between barriers to help-seeking and abusive behaviors. Aim 3: Determine the goodness of fit of the model or models to each of three race/ethnicity subgroups: Hispanic, African American non-Hispanic, White non-Hispanic. Aim 4: Describe the extent to which the proposed model(s) has the best fit with key variables (1) type of abuser and (2) type of abuse. Aim 5: Use the resulting best fitting model(s) for each ethnic group and identified predictive values of type of abuser and type of abuse plan.

ca/ncf