Australian Burden of Disease Study 2015: Interactive data on risk factor burden

In 2015, intimate partner violence contributed to 1.6% of the total disease burden in Australian women.

These estimates reflect the amount of disease burden that could have been avoided if all women aged 15 and over in Australia were not exposed to intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence was causally linked to homicide & violence, suicide & self-inflicted injuries, alcohol use disorders, depression, anxiety and early pregnancy loss (see Supplementary tables). The impact of this risk factor was estimated only in women as evidence in the literature to identify the causally linked diseases and the amount of increased risk (relative risk) was only available for women (Ayre et al. 2016; GBD 2016 Risk Factor Collaborators 2017).

How much burden was attributable to intimate partner violence?

Intimate partner violence contributed 41% of homicide & violence burden, 19% each of suicide & self-inflicted injuries and depressive disorders burden and 18% of early pregnancy loss burden and 12% of anxiety disorders burden in females.

How did burden attributable to intimate partner violence vary by age?

Burden from intimate partner violence was estimated in women aged 15 and over.

Burden due to intimate partner violence was highest between ages 45 and 54. The most burden due to intimate partner violence in this age group was from depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicide & self-inflicted injuries.

Did attributable burden vary by socioeconomic group?

Disease burden attributable to intimate partner violence was 2.4 times greater in the lowest (most disadvantaged) socioeconomic group compared with the highest (least disadvantaged) group.

How has disease burden due to intimate partner violence changed over time?

The rate of total burden due to intimate partner violence remained stable between 2003 and 2015 (1.5 DALY per 1,000 population).

References

Ayre J, Lum On M, Webster K & Moon L 2016. Examination of the burden of disease of intimate partner violence against women: Final report, 2011. Sydney: Australian National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety.

GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators 2017. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet 390:1345–422.