PubMed ID:
23862305
Public Release Type:
Journal
Publication Year: 2013
Affiliation: New England Research Institutes, Watertown, MA 02472, USA. gchiu@neriscience.com
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.11-043
Authors:
Chiu GR,
Hall SA,
Link CL,
Litman HJ,
Lutfey KE,
McKinlay JB
Studies:
Boston Area Community Health Survey
Abuse is associated with a wide variety of health problems, yet comprehensive population-based data are scant. Existing literature focuses on a single type of abuse, population, or lifestage. Using a racially/ethnically diverse community-based sample, we document the prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by lifestage and gender, assess variation in abuse by sociodemographics; establish overlap of abuses; and examine childhood abuse relationships with abuse in adulthood. Prevalence of abuse ranges from 15% to 27%; women report more adulthood emotional abuse and lifetime sexual abuse than men; reports of abuse can vary by race/ethnicity and poverty status, particularly in women; there is overlap between types of abuse; and a history of childhood abuse is associated with a greater risk of abuse as an adult.