Alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) are major public health concerns. When assessed simultaneously, alcohol abuse has been significantly correlated to IPV victimization and perpetration across various samples. However, this link has been seldom analyzed among African American women although they are at disproportionate risk for experiencing IPV and increased alcohol abuse. African American women are 35% more likely than European American women to experience IPV and 2.5% more likely than any other ethnic minority group of women to experience IPV. To further analyze this, data from 171 low-income African American women were collected in an urban area in the southeast region of the United States (U.S.). Results indicated that alcohol abuse and IPV were significantly correlated, psychological factors were significantly correlated with alcohol abuse, and poor social support did not mediate the IPV-alcohol abuse link. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
