Objectives: To discuss a more complex relationship between a wide range of lifetime abuse experiences and health.
Methods: Between October 1998 and May 1999, interviews were conducted with 500 ethnically diverse women seen at two urban, primary care centers. Interviews included 22 questions about partner violence (emotional, physical, sexual) and 14 questions about child abuse experiences. Abuse experiences were classified into nine categories, a referent group (never abused) and eight combinations of child and partner abuse experiences with increasing "doses" of exposure. Depression, anxiety and physical symptoms were measured with a modified PRIME-MD questionnaire.
Results: Only 4.5% of women who never experienced abuse reported clinical levels of depression compared to higher levels reported by women grouped into the eight abuse categories (range 9.5% – 36.1%). While clinical anxiety was reported by 7.0% of never abused women, women who experienced abuse reported levels three to ten times higher, depending on the "dose" of abuse experienced. Likewise, women who reported abuse were four to twelve times more likely to report multiple, non-specific physical symptoms than never abused women. Adjusting for age, income, education, and race/ethnicity increases the strength of associations compared to bivariate analyses highlighted here.
Conclusions: Women who have experienced child abuse and/or partner violence reported the preponderance of physical and mental health symptoms. Using complex measures of abuse helps clarify the association between violence and adverse health events women experience.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the paticipant will be able to: - identify multiple forms of abuse - recognize the substantial impact abuse may have on health
Keywords: Battered Women, Women's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.