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.
Läkarpraktik, Kungsgatan 54 B, 753 21 Uppsala, Sweden. ture@tapraktik.se
Ture
T
Alander
Gun
G
Heimer
Kurt
K
Svärdsudd
Lars
L
Agréus
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*