The association between violence victimisation and common symptoms in Swedish women

Study objective-To investigate the association between violence and abuse s uffered by women during childhood or adult life, and the manifestation of a high level of common physical and mental symptoms. Design, setting and participants-A questionnaire was sent to a random popul ation of women, 40 to 50 years of age, living in a rural Swedish community. The response rate was 81.7 per cent (397 women). Odds ratios were used to estimate bivariate associations between the experience of violence/abuse an d common symptoms. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to test for confounding and effect modification. Main results-The experience of violence or abuse during childhood was repor ted by 32.2 per cent of the women, while 15.6 per cent reported being abuse d as an adult. In both cases, these experiences reached statistical signifi cance in their association with a high level of common symptoms (OR=1.67; 9 5% CI 1.08, 2.49 and OwR=2.26; 95% CI 1.30, 3.92, respectively). The associ ations between childhood and as well adult experience of violence or abuse and common symptoms were largely independent of potential confounders such as unemployment, job strain, social support, and sense of coherence. The co mbined exposure to adult violence/abuse and low psychosocial coping resourc es, such as low social support or a low level of sense of coherence, consid erably increased the odds ratio for common symptoms and a synergistic effec t seemed to exist. Conclusion-Violence or abuse experience is an important factor when conside ring illness manifestations in terms of common symptoms in women 40 to 50 y ears of age.