Physical Health of Women in Primary Care Who Were Maltreated as Children

• NCJ Number: 205959
• Journal: Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: 2004 Pages: 39-59
• Author(s): Donna S. Martsolf; Claire Burke Draucker; Terri R. Chapman
• Editor(s): Robert Geffner Ph.D., Marti Loring Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 21 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The purpose of this study was to test a causal theoretical model that identifies the relationships among childhood maltreatment, chronic stress, and the health status of women seeking primary care.

Abstract

Researchers have investigated the association between childhood maltreatment and numerous physical health correlates, and while a history of child maltreatment seems to be related to poor health status in adults, little is known about the nature of this relationship. This study tested a causal theoretical model that identifies the relationships between childhood maltreatment, chronic stress, and the health status of women seeking primary care. The study hypothesized that general childhood maltreatment reflects family vulnerability and would therefore predict contact abuse; that childhood maltreatment would predict poor health status; and that current trauma symptoms would mediate the relationship between contact abuse and health status. Data were obtained from a survey of 159 women, ages 18-88, who were seeking primary health care. Each participant completed four measures of childhood trauma and health; 47 percent reported a history of moderate or severe childhood maltreatment. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the variables. Results of the analyses found that emotional abuse predicted physical abuse, sexual abuse, and current trauma symptoms. This led to current trauma symptoms being moderately predictive of perceived general health and strongly predictive of perceived mental health and physical symptoms. In addition, participants who experienced physical neglect or emotional neglect or abuse, with or without physical or sexual abuse, differed significantly from those who had not experienced physical neglect or emotional neglect or abuse. These two groups of participants differed on trauma symptoms and perceived general and mental health. These findings lend support to and extend the current knowledge in the area of childhood maltreatment and subsequent health in adult women. Study limitations and implications for health care professionals are discussed. 6 tables, 2 figures, and 46 references