title: History of domestic violence and physical health in midlife.
abstract: The association between domestic violence and physical health in middle-aged Australian women is investigated via a cross-sectional survey of 14,100 women (45 to 50 years old) who responded to the first Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health survey. After adjustment for demographic and health behavior characteristics and menopause status in multivariate analyses, various physical conditions (allergies or breathing problems, pain or fatigue, bowel problems, vaginal discharge, eyesight and hearing problems, low iron, asthma, bronchitis or emphysema, cervical cancer) were associated with domestic violence. The results highlight the link between health and domestic violence in middle-aged women and underscore the need for health professionals to take a full social history from women presenting with physical symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loxton
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: Rafat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Gita
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mishra
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health