Understanding the Intersection Between Men’s Alcohol Use, Masculinity and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Male-to-female intimate partner violence (MFIPV) is a pervasive issue, with alcohol use and masculine norm endorsement identified as risk factors. However, research on how these two factors intersect with MFIPV perpetration is scarce. This review aims to understand if and how male alcohol use and masculinity intersect with MFIPV perpetration. A systematic search of Medline, PsycINFO, CINHAL, Global Health, and Web of Science was conducted. Papers underwent two levels of screening (title and abstract; full-text review) to determine eligibility, followed by methodological assessment and data extraction of all eligible studies. Three-level random effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled effect sizes for three outcomes of interest. Meta-regression analyses were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. Additionally, a narrative synthesis of qualitative data was undertaken. From 6,441 identified studies, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis results indicated greater alcohol use frequency (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 1.39, <i>p</i> = .004) and higher masculine norm endorsement (pooled OR = 1.12, <i>p</i> = .007) significantly increased the odds of MFIPV perpetration. Differences in sample size and measurement tools between studies accounted for significant proportions of observed heterogeneity. The interaction of alcohol use and masculinity on IPV was not significant (pooled OR = 1.00, <i>p</i> = .758). Further, the narrative synthesis provided insights into the conceptualization of masculinity and its intersection with alcohol. Alcohol use and masculinity independently predicted MFIPV perpetration; however, their interaction, while not statistically significant, remains underexplored. Future research should adopt a culturally grounded, intersectional approach to better understand their combined influence on MFIPV.