Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Study finds partner abuse leads to wide range of health problems

Study finds partner abuse leads to wide range of health problems

October 13, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Women abused by intimate partners suffer higher rates of a wide variety of doctor-diagnosed medical maladies compared to women who were never abused, according to a new study of more than 3,000 women.

Many of these health problems are not commonly understood as being associated with violence, such as abdominal pain, chest pain, headaches, acid reflux, urinary tract infections, and menstrual disorders.




"Roughly half of the diagnoses we examined were more common in abused women than in other women," said Amy Bonomi, lead author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.

"Abuse is associated with much more than cuts and bruises."

Compared with never-abused women, victims had an almost six-fold increase in clinically identified substance abuse, a more than three-fold increase in receiving a depression diagnosis, a three-fold increase in sexually transmitted diseases and a two-fold increase in lacerations.

Bonomi led the study, co-authored with researchers from the Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington in Seattle, and published in the Oct. 12, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Their research examined data from 3,568 randomly selected women patients at Group Health Cooperative, a health system in the Pacific Northwest. All women in the study consented to giving researchers confidential access to their medical records.

Women in the study were surveyed by telephone about whether they experienced any physical, sexual or psychological abuse from intimate partners, including husbands and boyfriends, within the past year. Researchers then checked their medical records from the past year to see the diagnoses they had received from doctors in primary, specialty and emergency care settings.

The researchers then compared the diagnoses of the 242 abused women with the remaining women who had never been abused.

While other research has found a link between intimate partner violence and health, this is among the first major studies that has not relied on self-reports by women about their health status.

"We were able to go to the medical records and find out what abuse victims had been formally diagnosed with in the past year," Bonomi said.

"These women are not just saying they are depressed or have cuts and bruises," she stressed. "They are going to the doctor and having their problems diagnosed."

In addition, the study improves on past work because it includes a random sample of women enrolled in the health plan, and not just women who were already seeking some kind of health services.

Bonomi noted that many of the doctors involved in treating these women probably didn't know of their abuse history.

"For most women, abuse likely never enters into the conversation with their doctors," she said.

The results suggest that physicians should use a "targeted screening" approach with their female patients to determine if they are being abused.

Any women who come to the doctor with complaints of depression, substance abuse, sexually transmitted disease, or cuts and bruises should be interviewed about the possibility of abuse.

"Many women may not volunteer that they are in abusive relationships, so health care providers should be suspicious if their female patients have any of these diagnoses and symptoms that occur much more often among abuse victims," she said.

Bonomi said these results may be conservative, and that many abused women may suffer even higher rates of some health problems than the study suggests. That's because the participants in this study all had health insurance, and research shows that women who are not consistently insured have higher rates of intimate partner violence and may have worse health overall.

Ohio State University



Related Abuse Current Events and Abuse News Articles Abuse Current Events and Abuse News RSS Abuse Current Events and Abuse News RSS
Some Bullies Are Just the Shy Type, New Research Shows
When you think of people suffering from social anxiety, you probably characterize them as shy, inhibitive and submissive.

Childhood adversity may promote cellular aging
Children who suffer physical or emotional abuse could be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults, according to new research published by Elsevier in Biological Psychiatry.

Researchers ID brain abnormalities in children exposed to methamphetamine in utero
It has long been known that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems.

Smoking, but not past alcohol abuse, may impair mental function
Men and women with a history of alcohol abuse may not see long-term negative effects on their memory and thinking, but female smokers do, a new study suggests.

Impulsive-Antisocial Personality Traits Linked to a Hypersensitive Brain Reward System
Normal individuals who scored high on a measure of impulsive/antisocial traits display a hypersensitive brain reward system, according to a brain imaging study by researchers at Vanderbilt University.

Psychopaths' brains wired to seek rewards, no matter the consequences
The brains of psychopaths appear to be wired to keep seeking a reward at any cost, new research from Vanderbilt University finds. The research uncovers the role of the brain's reward system in psychopathy and opens a new area of study for understanding what drives these individuals.

R-rated movies increase likelihood of underage children trying alcohol
R-rated movies portray violence and other behaviors deemed inappropriate for children under 17 year of age. A new study finds one more reason why parents should not let their kids watch those movies: adolescents who watch R-rated movies are more likely to try alcohol at a young age.

Male batterers consistently overestimate rates of violence toward partners
Men who engaged in domestic violence consistently overestimated how common such behavior is, and the more they overestimated it the more they engaged in abusing their partner in the previous 90 days, according to new research conducted at the University of Washington.

Researchers develop new scale to measure anxiety outcomes
A new questionnaire and outcomes measurement scale developed by the department of psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety.

UM School of Medicine finds prenatal cocaine exposure not severely damaging to growth, learning
Children exposed to cocaine in the womb face serious consequences from the drug, but fortunately not in certain critical physical and cognitive areas as previously believed, according to a new comprehensive review of research on the subject from scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
More Abuse Current Events and Abuse News Articles
The Fourteenth Year

The Fourteenth Year
by Kelly Watt (Author)

The Fourteenth Year is a memoir narrated by a young girl whose unrelenting strength somehow carries her through the throes of an extinguished childhood. Her story begins as she attempts to reclaim control of her life from the steamy grip of her biological father. As she describes the exhausting legal process, the details of the past fourteen years unfold into the culminating showdown between a dad and a daughter. For Kelly, life is dictated by a sexually and emotionally abusive father whose self-proclaimed deification demands subservience by all. No protection is offered by the emotionally detached mother, who does nothing to stop him . Their daughter must find a way to remain psychologically intact as the abuse worsens. Eventually leaving the house or even watching television had a...

Why God - Why Me?

Why God - Why Me?
Directed By: David Hoffman

This film is for adults. It is very powerful to watch. Only God knows how many of our young people have lived through the pain and the confusion of child sexual abuse.

"Why, God - Why Me?" dramatizes a true life account with the actual voice of a single woman survivor. Her incredibly frank revelations help others to see a world where traditional comforts of home and family are threatening and dehumanizing.

While "Why, God - Why Me?" is emotionally compelling, there are no graphic, sexual or violent scenes. The sensitivity of this program results, in part, from the fact that it was researched and produced by high school students.

"Why, God - Why Me?" is a powerful program to watch and offers a common ground for discussion and understanding. It ends on a positive note, helping to...

Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse

Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse
by Ann McMurray (Author), Gregory Ph.D. Jantz (Author)

In spite of their physical invisibility, emotional wounds are a very damaging form of abuse. Whether caused by words, actions, or even indifference, emotional abuse is common--yet often overlooked. In this helpful guide, Dr. Gregory L. Jantz reveals how those who have been abused by a spouse, parent, employer, or minister can overcome the past and rebuild their self-image. This revised and updated edition of Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse includes • strategies for dealing with the verbal abuser • self-check quizzes with each chapter • keys to rebuilding relationships • letters from survivors of emotional abuse • new information on dealing with spiritual abuse • and a biblical plan for healing.

Abuse

Abuse
by Origin

Abuse is an excellent heart-pounding 2D Platform Game featuring amazingly detailed graphics, a multi-capability level editor, network options, and an environment with 14 function-carrying objects, 17 enemies and obstacles of various kinds, plus a selection of futuristic weapons that the main character Nick can use.

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
by Lundy Bancroft (Author)

"He doesn't mean to hurt me-he just loses control."
"He can be sweet and gentle."
"He's scared me a few times, but he never hurts the children-he's a great father."
"He's had a really hard life..."

Women in abusive relationships tell themselves these things every day. Now they can see inside the minds of angry and controlling men-and change their own lives. In this groundbreaking book, a counselor shows how to improve, survive, or leave an abusive relationship, with:

€ The early warning signs
€ Nine abusive personality types
€ How to tell if an abuser can change, is changing, or ever will
€ The role of drugs and alcohol
€ What can be fixed, and what can't
€ How to leave a relationship safely

Acts of Worship

Acts of Worship
Starring: Christopher Kadish, Michael Hyatt, Ana Reeder, Nestor Rodriguez
Directed By: Rosemary Rodriguez
Also With: Luke Geissbuhler (Cinematographer), Jim Coleman (Composer), Elizabeth Downer (Editor)

This focuses on the relationship between alix a young homeless addict and digna a successful photographer in manhattans lower eastside. When digna discovers alix unconcious on the stairs of her building she steps in and offers to help despite her own fears and their emotional and ethical cores are tested. Studio: Arts Alliance America Release Date: 08/14/2007 Starring: Ana Reeder Michael Hyatt Run time: 94 minutes Rating: R

Please Tell!: A Child's Story About Sexual Abuse (Early Steps)

Please Tell!: A Child's Story About Sexual Abuse (Early Steps)
by Jessie Ottenweller (Author)

Written and illustrated by a young girl who was sexually molested by a family member, this book reaches out to other children in a way that no adult can. Jessie's words carry the message, "It's o.k. to tell; help can come when you tell."

This book is an excellent tool for therapists, counselors, child protection workers, teachers, and parents dealing with children affected by sexual abuse.

Jessie's story adds a sense of hope for what should be, and the knowledge that the child protection system can work for children. Simple, direct, and from the heart, Jessie gives children the permission and the courage to deal with sexual abuse.

"Please Tell! is a beautifully simple book with a profoundly important message for children who have been sexually abused: the abuse wasn't their...

Cut And Run

Cut And Run
by Child Abuse

In their five years of existence, Child Abuse have become much more than a (shocking) name. The legendary NY trio has fused elements of Noise, Death Metal, Free Jazz, and Grind (among other things) to form something entirely their own. On their 2nd full-length and 3rd Lovepump release, Child Abuse has reached the apex of weird: Cut And Run is a monument of bizarre brutality. Vinyl includes mp3 download.

  Partner Abuse: New Directions in Research Intervention and P
by Springer Publishing Co



Monty Python Toy Abuse Keychain

Monty Python Toy Abuse Keychain
by Toy Vault


Speaks several phrases.


© 2010 BrightSurf.com