Περίληψη:
Background
Research suggests that survivors of interpersonal violence have an
increasing experience of bodily symptoms. This study aims to scrutinise
the association between lifetime abuse and somatic symptoms among older
women and men, considering demographics/socioeconomic, social support
and health variables.
Methods
A sample of 4,467 community-dwelling persons aged 60-84 years (57.3%
women) living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy,
Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) was recruited for this
cross-sectional study. Lifetime abuse (psychological, physical, sexual,
financial and injury) was assessed on the basis of the UK study of elder
abuse and the Conflict Tactics Scale-2, while somatic symptoms were
assessed by the Giessen Complaint List short version.
Results
Women reported somatic symptoms more frequently than men. Multiple
regression analyses revealed that lifetime exposure to psychological
abuse was associated with higher levels of somatic symptoms among both
women and men, while experiencing lifetime sexual abuse was associated
with somatic symptoms only among older women, after adjusting for other
demographic and socio-economic variables. Country of residence, older
age, and low socio-economic status were other independent factors
contributing to a higher level of somatic symptoms.
Conclusions
The positive association between the experience of abuse during lifetime
and the reporting of higher levels of somatic symptoms, in particular
among older women, seems to suggest that such complaints in later life
might also be related to the experience of mistreatment and not only to
ageing and related diseases. Violence prevention throughout lifetime
could help to prevent somatic symptoms in later life.
Συγγραφείς:
Eslami, Bahareh
Di Rosa, Mirko
Barros, Henrique and
Torres-Gonzalez, Francisco
Stankunas, Mindaugas and
Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth
Lindert, Jutta
Soares, Joaquim J. F.
and Lamura, Giovanni
Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella
