PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Severe climate change may increase violence against women

Peer-reviewed | Observational study | People

2024-10-02
(Press-News.org) Countries affected by severe climate change may also have a higher prevalence of violence against women, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The research, published in PLOS Climate, examined how climate shocks – such as storms, landslides and floods – might be linked to higher rates of intimate partner violence in the two years following the event.

The researchers gathered data on intimate partner violence from 363 surveys conducted in 156 countries between 1993 and 2019, focusing on women who currently had a partner. Intimate partner violence was defined as any physical and/or sexual violence in the past year.

The team also gathered data on climate shocks from 1920 to 2022 in 190 countries. They then analysed the relationship between climate shocks and intimate partner violence, while also considering the country’s economic status.

They found that there was a significant link between intimate partner violence and certain climate shocks (including storms, landslides and floods). Meanwhile, other types of climate shocks (such as earthquakes and wildfires) didn’t show a clear connection to intimate partner violence.

Countries with higher GDP had lower rates of intimate partner violence.

Lead author, Professor Jenevieve Mannell (UCL Institute for Global Health), said: “Existing evidence has found that when a woman experiences a climate-related event, she is more likely to experience violence in some countries and for some types of violence, but not others.

“We set out to explore what was happening at a national level to help inform international climate change policy.”

The researchers were unable to assess why different climate shocks have more of an impact on intimate partner violence. However, they believe that different shocks may take different amounts of time to have an effect on violence and this may not have been captured in the two-year window studied, due to data availability.

As a result, they are calling for more regular data collection by countries on measures of violence against women.

Professor Mannell added: “A small body of evidence shows that heat and humidity increases aggressive behaviours, including violence. Climate-related disasters increase stress and food insecurity in families in ways that can lead to increases in violence. They also reduce the social services often available for dealing with partner violence, such as police and civil society who are more focused on the disaster.

“At the same time, governments may put in place shelters for disaster relief which are often overcrowded and unsafe, without thinking about the risks of sexual violence.

“All of this happens more often and with increased severity in countries that have patriarchal gender norms and where the use of violence against women is widely accepted as normal behaviour.”

Importantly, the researchers believe that climate mitigation and adaptation efforts can and should play an important role in reducing violence against women.

This could include mentioning “violence against women” in Nationally Determined Contributions (the climate change commitments countries make) and allocating finances to address it, or developing Climate Change Gender Action Plans. Samoa and Fiji are two countries which have already done this.

The researchers also advise that violence against women needs to be a consideration in countries’ disaster planning processes.

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and was carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University of Exeter, the South African Medical Research Council and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Higher-order interactions can remodel the landscape of complex systems

2024-10-02
Networks, which include nodes and connections, can help researchers model dynamic systems like the spread of disease or how the brain processes information. Pairwise interactions between nodes can represent links between individuals  — how two neurons connect with one another in the brain, for example — but scientists also study interactions involving three or more nodes. These higher-order interactions reveal changes and phenomena beyond those found by looking only at pairs.  Yuanzhao Zhang, an SFI Complexity Postdoctoral Fellow, has studied how higher-order ...

New cardiovascular disease risk marker discovered in older women

New cardiovascular disease risk marker discovered in older women
2024-10-02
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a new potential risk marker for cardiovascular disease in women. A new study shows an association between low levels of an anti-inflammatory antibody and the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease. The study is published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in Sweden. However, research on women's heart health has historically been neglected. Women are affected later in life and have more risk factors such ...

Storms, floods, landslides associated with intimate partner violence against women two years later

2024-10-02
Climate change-related landslides, storms and floods are associated with intimate partner violence against women two years after the event, according to a study published October 2 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Jenevieve Mannell from University College London and colleagues. Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change’s acute (e.g., flooding) and chronic (e.g., rising sea levels) effects. Countries undergoing climate shocks are more likely to see increased intimate partner violence against women, possibly because climate disasters ...

How do ‘double skeptics’ affect government policy on climate and vaccination?

2024-10-02
Governments and other policymakers around the world wrestle with how to deal with people who are sceptical of official positions and guidelines, such as climate sceptics and antivaxxers. Earlier research has linked such scepticism to distrust of scientists among members of the public, while other studies have shown that it is difficult to erode sceptical attitudes that are psychologically motivated by factors such as bias against elite institutions or a conservative world view. New research from the University of Cambridge, reported in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests a more tailored approach could help ...

Electric vehicle owners on average are richer, drive more than the general population, and have a higher than average carbon footprint due to higher disposable income—but owning an EV reduces their tr

Electric vehicle owners on average are richer, drive more than the general population, and have a higher than average carbon footprint due to higher disposable income—but owning an EV reduces their tr
2024-10-02
Electric vehicle owners on average are richer, drive more than the general population, and have a higher than average carbon footprint due to higher disposable income—but owning an EV reduces their traffic related emissions, and their personal experience of EVs is linked with positive attitudes and purchase intentions #### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000346 Article Title: But can it drive to Lapland? A comparison of electric vehicle owners with the general population for identification of attitudes, concerns and barriers related to electric vehicle adoption in Finland Author Countries: ...

Toward brain-based prediction of recovery: how neuroimaging can help combat the substance-use epidemic

2024-10-02
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) is hosting a free webinar, “Toward Brain-Based Prediction of Recovery: How Neuroimaging Can Help Combat the Substance-Use Epidemic” on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 2:00 pm ET. The presenter, Sarah W. Yip, Ph.D., MSc, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and the Director of the Yale Imaging and Psychopharmacology (YIP) Lab. Her lab uses neuropsychiatric research methods to identify biological mechanisms of mood disorders, addictions, and their treatments. The webinar ...

Beyond ‘one pore at a time’

Beyond ‘one pore at a time’
2024-10-02
Nanoporous membranes with atomic-scale holes smaller than one-billionth of a meter have powerful potential for decontaminating polluted water, pulling valuable metal ions from the water, or for osmotic power generators. But these exciting applications have been limited in part by the tedious process of tunneling individual sub-nanometer pores one by one. “If we are to ever scale up 2D material membranes to be relevant for applications outside the laboratory, the ‘one pore at a time’ method just isn't feasible,” said recent UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) PhD graduate Eli ...

New study explores how universities can improve student well-being

New study explores how universities can improve student well-being
2024-10-02
Historically, a university’s primary role has been to ensure students excel academically, but higher education can also change lives by supporting their well-being. Despite growing evidence of the importance of student well-being and an abundance of best practices, most institutions have yet to prioritize it as much as they do enrollment, graduation and grades.  A new study led by University of Maine researchers provides guidance on how institutions can support and enhance student well-being, and breaks down the various benefits for learners during and beyond their university career. It was published in PNAS Nexus, the ...

Community-based programs in senior centers may lower health care use and costs for people with dementia

2024-10-02
Living with dementia in communities with senior centers providing access to adult day health and social services was associated with fewer hospitalizations and lower health care use and Medicare costs, according to researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The results, published in Heath Affairs Scholar, underscore the potential of senior centers in minimizing health care costs and acute care usage among those with dementia, particularly in smaller communities where centers provide access to such services. “Our findings provide evidence to support ...

Q&A: UW researchers examine link between light pollution and interest in astronomy

2024-10-02
Picture walking outside on a dark, cloudless evening. You look up to admire the stars — maybe even a planet, if you’re lucky — and a sense of wonder washes of you. New research from the University of Washington shows this might be more than a memorable experience: It could ultimately spark scientific curiosity and influence life choices. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, research scientist the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS), and Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of I-LABS and professor of psychology, recently co-authored a study in Nature Scientific Reports showing a link between the ability to see the stars ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Strong, evidence-based leadership at CDC essential in wake of director’s exit, says SHEA

Birdwatching tourism is booming. Some countries are benefiting, while others are left behind

High protein or Trp diet increases the risk of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism

Risk of a second cancer after early breast cancer is low

Genetic key to why immune responses differ between men and women

Discovery could lead to new treatments for life-threatening allergic reactions

CRF announces TCT 2025 late-breaking clinical trials and science

Ancient DNA reveals farming spread through migration, locals slow to adopt it

Researchers turn mouse scalp transparent to image brain development

New research reveals longevity gains slowing, life expectancy of 100 unlikely

Wheat that makes its own fertilizer

Certain communities of pond plants may increase greenhouse gases

Hormone therapy type matters for memory performance after menopause

Stroke risk highest among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander people

Scientists reveal warped protoplanetary discs, reshaping ideas about how planets form

Be it feast or famine, orangutans adapt with flexible diets

Insomnia patients report better sleep when taking cannabis-based medical products

Intrusive distracting thoughts may be associated with anxiety and linked to lower well-being, and occur more often when alone than in company

New crocodile-relative “hypercarnivore” from prehistoric Patagonia was 11.5ft long and weighed 250kg

“Unhappiness hump” in aging may have disappeared worldwide

Breathwork can induce altered states of consciousness linked with changes in brain blood flow

New research makes first broad-spectrum antiviral

Good sleep quality might be key for better mental wellbeing in young adults

One step closer to improving ER+ breast cancer patients’ response to therapy

Scientists reveal the first structure of the complete botulinum neurotoxin complex

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers link dietary fats to more severe form of asthma

Rising temperatures intensify "supercell thunderstorms" in Europe

New Hebrew SeniorLife affordable senior housing building achieves Phius Certification

Overworked brain cells may burn out in Parkinson’s disease

One in seven bariatric surgery patients turn to new weight loss drugs

[Press-News.org] Severe climate change may increase violence against women
Peer-reviewed | Observational study | People