Food Insecurity Over the Life Course and Intimate Partner Violence Among Women Living With <scp>HIV</scp>/<scp>AIDS</scp> in Ghana

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant problem globally. It is especially problematic in sub‐Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Some evidence suggests women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHIV) are more severely affected than others. A possible reason for their increased vulnerability is food insecurity. Food insecurity occurs when nutritionally adequate and safe foods are not available or inaccessible and is disproportionately high among WLHIV. The study examined the effects of food insecurity over the life course on IPV among WLHIV in Ghana. It used data from about 1,007 ever‐married Ghanaian WLHIV attending routine check‐ups in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Binary logit models examined the effects of food insecurity over the life course on physical, sexual, emotional, economic, and spiritual IPV. Both childhood and adulthood food insecurity were significantly associated with IPV. Women who experienced food insecurity in childhood and adulthood were significantly more likely to report all five types of IPV than those who did not. The largest association occurs when childhood food insecurity continues into adulthood. Our findings demonstrate the cumulative and intergenerational relationship between food insecurity and IPV among WLHIV in Ghana, thus calling for interventions to target children at risk.