Health care utilization and costs associated with childhood abuse
Date
2008
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Abstract
Physical and sexual childhood abuse is associated with poor health across the lifespan. However,
the association between these types of abuse and actual health care use and costs over the long
run has not been documented. This study examined long-term health care utilization and costs
associated with physical, sexual, or both physical and sexual childhood abuse. Three thousand
three hundred thirty-three women (mean age, 47 years) were randomly selected from the
membership files of a large integrated health care delivery system. Automated annual health care
utilization and costs were assembled over an average of 7.4 years for women with physical only,
sexual only, or both physical and sexual childhood abuse (as reported in a telephone survey), and
for women without these abuse histories (reference group). Significantly higher annual health
care use and costs were observed for women with a child abuse history compared to women
without comparable abuse histories. The most pronounced use and costs were observed for
women with a history of both physical and sexual child abuse. Total adjusted annual health care
costs were 36% higher for women with both abuse types, 22% higher for women with physical
abuse only, and 16% higher for women with sexual abuse only. Child abuse is associated with
long-term elevated health care use and costs, particularly for women who suffer both physical
and sexual abuse.
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
costs, health care, child maltreatment, healthcare utilization
Citation
Bonomi, A. E, et al. (2008). Health care utilization and costs associated with childhood abuse. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(3), 294–299.