The Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia: Estimated Health Costs Among Females Aged 13–24

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most pervasive form of gender-based violence, often first experienced in adolescence. While the prevalence of IPV is known to be exacerbated in humanitarian settings, little is known in regard to the economic burden of IPV between conflict-affected and non–conflicted-affected groups of women and girls. This top-down costing study examines the total health burden of physical IPV in Colombia, and whether these costs differ by conflict exposure. Methods: We utilized a nationally representative sample of 13–24-year-old females from the Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) in Colombia conducted in 2018. Using physical IPV prevalence, the analysis was conducted in four steps: 1) estimate the relative risk of seven IPV-associated health outcomes among the sample and subgroups, 2) estimate the population attributable fraction of IPV for each health outcome, 3) quantify the burden of IPV in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and 4) assign health costs in US dollars to the estimated DALYs. Results: We found that the single year health burden associated with physical IPV was $90.6 million USD. Moreover, nearly 40% of the economic burden of physical IPV among females aged 13–24 in Colombia was from those who were conflict-affected (24%). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that at least 16% of the overall health costs among females 13–24 in Colombia is from the preventable epidemic of physical IPV. In order to prevent and mitigate the costs of gender-based violence, multi-lateral and government investment is critically needed to prevent IPV and support women and girls.