Poorer physical and mental health among older adults decades after experiencing childhood physical abuse

Highlights

• Childhood physical abuse(CPA) is associated with later life anxiety and depression.

• CPA is associated with physical illness (arthritis, cancer, COPD, migraine, pain).

• These associations are independent of sociodemographic factors & health behaviours.

• Targeted health screening and interventions to CPA survivors may be warranted.

Abstract

Background

A burgeoning literature indicates adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer adult health outcomes. Most research to date has not focused on the outcomes among Canadian older adults.

Methods

The objectives of the current study were to identify the prevalence and adjusted odds of 2 mental health and 7 physical health conditions among survivors of childhood physical abuse (CPA) aged 60 and older (n = 409) in comparison to their peers who had not been physically abused (n = 4659). Data were drawn from a representative sample of older British Columbians in the Canadian Community Health Survey. Logistic regression analyses took into account sex, race, age, immigration status, marital status, education, income, smoking, obesity, binge drinking and number of other ACEs.

Results

For anxiety, depression and COPD, CPA survivors had adjusted odds ratio more than twice that of their peers (OR_anxiety = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.46, 3.38; OR_depression = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.57, 3.01; OR_COPD = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.40, 2.94). For CPA survivors, the adjusted odds ratios were more than 50% higher for cancer (OR_cancer = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.31, 2.24), migraine (OR_migraine = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.15, 2.45) and debilitating chronic pain (OR_pain = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.03), and 33% higher for arthritis (OR_arthritis = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.69). CPA was not significantly associated with either heart disease (p = 0.15) or diabetes (p = 0.17).

Conclusions

The association between CPA and 2 mental health and 5 physical health conditions remained significant, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors and other ACEs. Further research is needed to investigate potential pathways through which childhood physical abuse is linked to a wide range of later-life health problems.