Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Aggressive behavior among drug -using women from Cape Town, South Africa: ethnicity, 
heavy alcohol use, methamphetamine and intimate partner sexual violence  
 
Version: 1 Date: 10 Apr 2017  
 
Reviewer: Mekeila Cook  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Review of manuscript: BMWH -D-16-00282 entitled, "Aggressive behavior among drug -using 
women from Cape  Town, South Africa: ethnicity, heavy alcohol use, methamphetamine and 
main partner sexual violence".  
This manuscript addresses an under -investigate area of research, aggression perpetration by 
women in South Africa. I believe this paper has potentially high relevance for contributing to 
public health practice. The authors were responsive to the reviewers' comments and suggestions. 
The writing is much improved and the important points raised in the paper are more succinct, 
especially in the Results and Di scussion sections. That said, there are only a couple of suggested 
revisions.  
The data presented in the tables are clear but Table 1 needs to be reviewed for accuracy.  
Table 1: Cannabis use under Verbal Aggression states (M, SD) but reports 12.05%.  
Table 1: Methamphetamine Use under Physical Aggression reports a Test Statistic of -3.09; is 
the Test Statistic reported correctly? Also be sure the text and tables reflect the same findings.  
Table 1: Heavy Drinking under Verbal Aggression there is no p -value reported.  
Table 2: the asterisk for Adjusted Odds Ratio is not defined.  
Table 2: Clarification question, does the p -value refer to the Wald Test Statistic or the AOR? If 
the p -value is that of the AOR, the table would read clearer if the p -value appeare d after the 
confidence interval.  
The Discussion section is improved and easy to read. The authors offer strong rationale for their 
findings for age, heavy drinking, and methamphetamine use. However, little explanation is 
offered for the findings between aggression and ethnicity. I recognize the authors' attempt to 
proceed with caution in discussing this association but the Discussion sections appears 
unbalanced given the explanation of findings provided for the aforementioned factors. One 
possible solutio n is for the authors to provide more detail about the findings referenced in this 
paragraph (Herman et al) and drawing more concrete parallels with the current study's findings.  
  
Minor Edits:  
Introduction: be sure to include the year when reporting rate s. On page 4, line 20 include the year 
for "31 per 100,000" rate. Also on page 4, line 22 include the year for "the most recent figures".  
On page 5, line 15; change "conducting" to "conducted"  
Under data analysis: consider adding "frequency of" intimate  partner violence in the past six 
months…  
On page 8, line 43 separate "ofthe" to "of the"  
Check punctuation on: page 5, line 16; page 8, line 11; page 11, line 22  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does  the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions : 
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shar es in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you rec eived reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interest s in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
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I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal