Abuse in women and men with and without functional gastrointestinal disorders.
We aimed to investigate the history of abuse in childhood and adulthood and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in women and men with FGID in the general adult population. A cross-sectional study in a random population sample (n = 1,537, 20-87 years) living in Osthammar municipality, Sweden, in 1995 was performed. Persons with FGID (n = 141) and a group of abdominal symptom-free controls (SSF, n = 97) were selected by means of a validated questionnaire assessing gastrointestinal symptoms (the ASQ). Abuse, anxiety and depression (the HADS) and HRQL (the PGWB) were measured. Women with FGID had a higher risk of having a history of some kind of abuse, as compared with the SSF controls (45% vs.16%, OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.01-3.9; SSF = 1), in contrast to men (29% vs. 24% n.s.). Women with a history of abuse and FGID had reduced HRQL 91 (95% CI 85-97) as compared with women without abuse history 100 (95% CI 96-104, P = 0.01, "healthy" = 102-105 on PGWB). Childhood emotional abuse was a predictor for consulting with OR = 4.20 (95% CI: 1.12-15.7.7). Thus, previous abuse is common in women with FGID and must be considered by the physician for diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.
Alander
Ture
T
Läkarpraktik, Kungsgatan 54 B, 753 21 Uppsala, Sweden. ture@tapraktik.se
Heimer
Gun
G
Svärdsudd
Kurt
K
Agréus
Lars
L
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*