Recognition related to intimate partner violence among university students: a comparison study between 2008 and 2014 at one university in a nonmetropolitan area of Japan

抄録

Objective: This study aimed to compare recognition related to intimate partner violence (IPV) among first-year university students in 2008 and 2014.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire survey was completed by first-year students attending a university in the capital city of a Japanese prefecture in 2008 and 2014.

Results: In the 2008 study, 331 questionnaires were distributed, and 322 (97.3%) responses were returned. In the 2014 study, 423 questionnaires were distributed, and 410 (96.6%) responses were returned. A total of 274 responses from the 2008 survey and 371 responses from the 2014 survey were used in the analysis. Regardless of demographic characteristics, students’ recognition improved from 2008 to 2014 for only one survey item: “I would terminate a relationship with my boyfriend/girlfriend if he/she were violent” (adjusted odds ratio: 1.86; 95% confidence interval: 1.28, 2.71). However, despite this improvement, positive recognition of the item mentioned above remained at 36.7% in 2014. Although the overall recognition score did not improve between 2008 and 2014, multiple regression analysis showed that being female (β=0.11, P=0.009), majoring in a medical/health discipline (β=0.18, P<0.001), and having previously attended lectures/seminars about domestic violence and/or dating violence (β=0.11, P=0.006)—other than in the survey year—were associated with better recognition of violence.

Conclusion: Overall recognition of IPV among first-year students at one university in a nonmetropolitan area of Japan did not significantly improve from 2008 to 2014.