JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Resources and support to address intimate partner violence among Latina immigrants are essential for improving health outcomes and creating safer, healthier communities. However, immigrants face significant obstacles in obtaining essential resources that provide information as well as formal and informal support. These may include language barriers, social isolation, lack of transportation, cultural differences, and stigma. Although numerous interventions aimed at supporting Latina immigrants on issues of intimate partner violence exist, there is limited information about their approach to addressing and mitigating access barriers.

Objective:

This paper presents the protocol for a systematic review designed to evaluate the strategies used by existing interventions to address and reduce barriers to accessing information and support related to IPV in the following domains: approachability, acceptability, availability, affordability, and appropriateness. The objectives are as follows: (1) Identify intervention studies conducted with Latina immigrants who have experienced IPV that mitigate at least one of the five areas of access to information and support; (2) Examine the study data (e.g., intervention design, recruitment strategies, sample sizes, setting, theoretical underpinnings, duration and content of interventions, and outcome evaluations).

Methods:

A mixed-methods systematic review will be conducted using the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols) checklist. The research will proceed iteratively among the different authors. The team, which includes a librarian, developed a search strategy for six databases: APA PsycInfo (EBSCOhost), CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), PubMed, Scopus, Social Work Abstracts (EBSCOhost), and Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest). A literature search covering studies published from inception until the final search date of October 15, 2024, has been conducted. Two reviewers then proceeded individually and independently to conduct double selection of titles, abstracts, and full texts. A third reviewer resolved any disagreements between the reviewers. Data extraction will be performed by a reviewer and validated by a senior researcher. A narrative approach will synthesize and report the strategies used to address and mitigate access barriers to information and support for women who have experienced IPV.

Results:

The search strategy and literature review were finalized in January 2025. A total of 929 references were identified after duplicates were removed, and of these, 181 progressed to full-text review. The publication of the systematic review is scheduled for July 2025.

Conclusions:

The present mixed-methods systematic review will offer a comprehensive analysis of the current state of knowledge regarding how barriers to accessing information and support are identified and mitigated in interventions for Latina immigrants and their effects on outcomes. Clinical Trial: PROSPERO registration number 42024622171