The AIM Study

Abuse of older women

Canada’s population is aging rapidly. Almost one-fifth of Canadians were aged 65 and older in 2024 and nearly another one-fifth were between the ages of 50 and 65 (Statistics Canada Population estimates on July 1, by age and gender), accounting for nearly 40% of the population.

Abuse of older adults should therefore be of increasing concern as our population continues to age. Intimate partner violence, more commonly recognized among younger adults, unfortunately does not cease as couples get older. Although physical violence may decrease other forms of psychological and non-physical abuse tend to increase as women age. Older women experience unique barriers to seeking help (e.g., health status, dependency on caregiver, lack of income) and few interventions exist to support women in midlife and older who experience intimate partner violence.

AIM Study

The Advocacy Intervention for women in Midlife and older (AIM) study is being led by Dr. Lori Weeks at Dalhousie University and Dr. Cathy Holtmann at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, University of New Brunswick. The AIM study was announced on January 19, 2023, and is evaluating the effectiveness of the AIM Program, a 13-week advocacy intervention for women in midlife and older who experience intimate partner violence in the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). The project was registered as a Randomized Control Trial study with the ISCRTN registry and is also described here: JMIR Research Protocols - The Implementation of the Advocacy Intervention for Midlife and Older Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Program design

The AIM Program is a virtual intervention that consists of an empowerment component and a social support component. The empowerment component was designed as a one-hour information-sharing session that focuses on sharing information and resources on the dynamics of abusive relationships, safety planning, goal setting, and local IPV resources. The social support component was designed to provide support and encouragement to women through 12-weekly sessions (about 20 minutes per session). Eligible participants are women who are middle-aged or older (aged approximately ≥45 years), live in the Maritime provinces (NS, NB, PE), and self-identify as having recent experience with IPV. Comparison group participants receive an information package via email or postal mail. Quantitative effectiveness data is collected from all trial participants at baseline and at a 3-month and 9-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include physical and mental health measures, and use of safety behaviors and strategies. Participants in the intervention group are invited to participate in an interview about their experiences upon completion of the Program. Facilitators also share their experiences once they complete delivering the Program to all assigned participants.  

Partnerships

- Lori Weeks, co-PI, Dalhousie University
- Cathy Holtmann, co-PI, University of New Brunswick
- Danie Gagnon, co-investigator, University of New Brunswick
- Kathleen Allen, Research Coordinator, University of New Brunswick
- Katie Hamill, Research Assistant, University of New Brunswick
- Alisson Haché-Chiasson, Research Assistant, Université de Moncton
- Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, co-investigator, Université de Moncton
- Marilyn Macdonald, co-investigator, Dalhousie University
- Elaine Moody, co-investigator, Dalhousie University
- Christie Stilwell, co-investigator, Dalhousie University
- Heather Helpard, co-investigator, St. FX University
- Colleen MacQuarrie, co-investigator, University of Prince Edward Island
- Government of New Brunswick
- Government of Nova Scotia
- PEI Family Violence Prevention Services

Partnerships were also formed with several community-based organizations in the Maritime provinces to help with participant recruitment and to facilitate the delivery of the AIM Program.

Study Progress (as of December 2024)

Participant recruitment closed on June 30, 2024, with 53 participants enrolled in the trial, 33 were randomly allocated to receive the intervention and 22 were randomly allocated to the control group. Our target number of participants was 70, and we tried to include participants from a range of diverse backgrounds (e.g., rural women, francophone women, ethnically diverse women). Our target population is historically difficult to recruit, and we had moderate success in participant recruitment through utilizing a variety of strategies.

To date, a total of 27 participants have completed both components of the intervention (i.e. the intervention group). Qualitative interviews have been conducted with 18 of these participants. The interviews revealed that women were appreciative for the support and education that was offered in the advocacy intervention, but they also offered important feedback on ways to further improve the program. We are currently in the process of interviewing the program facilitators to shed light on their experiences.

Knowledge Mobilization

The following knowledge mobilization activities have been completed during this project:

The AIM Study: Supporting Women in Midlife and Older who Experienced Intimate Partner Violence (webinar)

Lori Weeks and Kathleen Allen participated in a webinar on June 6, 2024 entitled Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change (AH-NET-C) JBI g-LOCAL Solution Room: Intimate Partner Violence Interventions.  Lori Weeks presented the results of a scoping review related to inform the AIM study and provided an overview of the AIM study. Kathleen Allen described the training that is provided to deliver the AIM intervention. Jennifer Fraser-Furrow spoke about delivering the AIM intervention adn Jennifer Parlee spoke about how the intervention has been adapted for adult protection workers.