
Departmental Affiliations
Charvonne N. Holliday Nworu, PhD, MPH advances women’s health equity through community-engaged research addressing the determinants of intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion.
Contact Info
Research Interests
women's health equity; intimate partner violence; reproductive coercion; social determinants of health; health disparities; place-based disparities; neighborhoods; racial and ethnic disparity; violence perpetration; participatory research methods; sexual and reproductive health; mixed-methods; concept mapping
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Experiences & Accomplishments
My research aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV) and reproductive coercion (RC), identifying strategies that promote justice and equity through evidence-based policy and practice. Much of my work is based in Baltimore, MD, where the prevalence and complexity of IPV/RC are exacerbated by entrenched inequities, racial and gender-based discrimination, and intersecting forms of violence. These structural and social forces perpetuate IPV/RC-related health disparities, with limited attention devoted to prevention and intervention approaches among people who use IPV/RC (perpetrators).
My research agenda focuses on three key aims: (1) strengthening IPV intervention programming for men through community-oriented, multidisciplinary collaboration; (2) developing tools to measure and address men’s use of RC; (3) and examining social and structural risk factors—such as racism and housing instability— that shape experiences of violence and undermine the health and well-being of IPV/RC survivors. My research draws on gender, power, and social ecology theories and employs community-based participatory mixed methods, including concept mapping and spatial statistics, to drive meaningful change.
Honors & Awards
Excellence in Teaching Recognition, JHSPH, 2023-24
Dieter-Porter Medical Lecture, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 2023,
Early Career Excellence Award, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 2022,
Building Interdisciplinary Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholar, 2022–2023
“Phenomenal Woman” Community Award, Johnstown, PA, 2019,
Rev. Melvin Tuggle Community Excellence Award, Special Commendation (2017),
Jonas Salk Fellow, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Pittsburgh, PA (2013-14),
Keynote Speaker, NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, Johnstown, PA, 2013,
Gates Millennium Scholarship Program, 2004-2014,
Select Publications
My research focuses on social and structural determinants of reproductive coercion (RC) and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences among survivors and people who cause harm, and the impact of these factors on persistent racial and ethnic women’s health disparities. Selected publications:
Holliday CN, Bevilacqua K, Trister Grace K, Denhard L, Kaur A, Miller J, Decker MR. (2021). Examining the Neighborhood Attributes of Recently Housed Partner Violence Survivors in Rapid Rehousing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4):4177. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084177
Holliday CN, Kahn G, Thorpe RJ, Jr., Shah R, Hameeduddin Z, Decker MR. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Police Reporting for Partner Violence in the National Crime Victimization Survey and Survivor-Led Interpretation. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2019; doi: 10.1007/s40615-019-00675-9
Holliday CN, Morse SM, Irvin NA, et al. Concept Mapping: Engaging Urban Men to Understand Community Influences on Partner Violence Perpetration. 2018. doi:10.1007/s11524-018-0297-8
Holliday CN, Miller E, Decker MR, et al. Racial Differences in Pregnancy Intention, Reproductive Coercion, and Partner Violence among Family Planning Clients: A Qualitative Exploration. Women’s Health Issues. 2018; 28(3):205-211. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2018.02.003.
Holliday, CN, McCauley, HL, Silverman, JG, Ricci, E, Decker, MR, Tancredi, DJ, … Miller, E. Racial/Ethnic Differences in Women’s Experiences of Reproductive Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence, and Unintended Pregnancy. J Women's Health. 2017;26(8):828-835. doi:10.1089/jwh.2016.5996.