儿童期受虐待经历与大学生自杀意念的关联

目的研究儿童期受虐待经历与大学生自杀意念之间的关联,为保障大学生的身心健康提供依据。方法2018年5-7月,运用多阶段随机整群抽样的方法,选取山西省6所大学的大学生(儿童期虐待有效调查人数3 854名,自杀意念有效调查3 882名),进行儿童期虐待问卷中文版和自杀意念自评量表调查。结果儿童期至少有过1种虐待经历的占42.4%,近1周内有过自杀意念的占3.9%。经χ~2检验,儿童期遭受过躯体虐待、情感虐待、性虐待、躯体忽视、情感忽视大学生自杀意念检出率均高于未遭受相应虐待大学生(χ2值分别为13.78,12.97,17.10,56.56,66.58,P值均<0.01);Spearman相关性分析结果显示,儿童期各型受虐待经历均和大学生自杀意念存在正相关(r值分别为0.06,0.06,0.07,0.12,0.13,P值均<0.01);多因素Logistic回归模型发现,在控制其他影响因素后,儿童期遭受躯体忽视以及情感忽视与大学生自杀意念发生呈正相关(OR值分别为2.18,2.07,P值均<0.05)。结论儿童期遭受躯体忽视和情感忽视可增加大学生自杀意念的风险。在儿童少年早期给予足够的关注和爱护可能有助于防止成年期自杀意念的产生。     

High school incompletion and childhood maltreatment among street‐involved young people in Vancouver,Canada

While the link between educational attainment and future health and wellness is well understood, little investigation has considered the potential impacts of distinct forms of childhood maltreatment on high school completion. In the present study, the relationship between five categories of childhood maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and physical and emotional neglect) and completion of high school education were examined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). From September 2005 to May 2013, data were collected for the At‐Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a cohort of street‐involved young people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. We used logistic regression to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and high school completion, while controlling for a range of potential confounding variables. Specifically, five separate models for each category of maltreatment and two combined models were employed to examine the relative associations between, and cumulative impact of, different forms of childhood maltreatment and educational attainment. Among 974 young people, 737 (76%) reported not completing high school. In separate multivariable analyses physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect remained positively and independently associated with an incomplete high school education. In a combined multivariable model with all forms of childhood maltreatment considered together, emotional abuse (adjusted odds ratio = 2.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.51–2.86) was the only form of maltreatment that remained significantly associated with an incomplete high school education. The cumulative impact assessment indicated a moderate dose‐dependent trend where the greater the number of different forms of childhood maltreatment the greater the risk of not completing a high school education. These findings point to the need for trauma‐informed interventions to improve educational attainment among vulnerable young people, as well as evidence‐based prevention programmes, such as the Nurse–Family Partnership, aimed at supporting at‐risk families before maltreatment occurs.     

1173名强制隔离戒毒者童年期虐待及毒品使用行为调查

目的 探讨甲基苯丙胺(methamphetamine,MA)使用障碍戒毒者各类型童年期虐待的检出率及其与毒品使用行为的关系.方法 采用横断面调查法在安徽省7所成人强制隔离戒毒所招募MA使用障碍戒毒者1 173人.采用一般情况和毒品使用行为调查表、儿童期虐待问卷简版(Childhood Trauma Questionna...     

Childhood Maltreatment and Unprotected Sex among Female Juvenile Offenders: Evidence of Mediation by Substance Abuse and Psychological Distress

PurposeResearch has shown that childhood maltreatment is associated with sexual risk taking among female juvenile offenders; however, the mechanisms by which maltreatment influences sexual risk remain poorly understood. We assessed whether substance abuse, psychological distress, and dating violence mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and unprotected sex.MethodsSexually active female juvenile offenders (13–17 years of age) completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews (n = 232). Logistic regression with a risk decrement approach, the Sobel test, and the Goodman I test were used to evaluate mediation.ResultsMaltreatment before sixth grade was common in our sample, including physical abuse (48.7%), sexual abuse (14.7%), supervision neglect (57.3%), and physical neglect (18.5%). Cumulative childhood maltreatment was also high with 42.2% reporting two or more types. In the fully adjusted model, cumulative childhood maltreatment remained associated with unprotected sex (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.27, 4.65). The percent of the total effect in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and unprotected sex that was mediated by substance abuse was 16.4% (Sobel = 2.54 [p = .01]; Goodman I = 2.49 [p = .01]) and psychological distress accounted for 23.7% (Sobel = 2.55 [p = .01]; Goodman I = 2.51 [p = .01]). Dating violence was not a significant mediator in our analyses.ConclusionWe found a strong relationship between childhood maltreatment and unprotected sex among female juvenile offenders that was partially mediated through substance abuse and psychological distress. These findings can be used to develop public health strategies to increase condom use among female juvenile offenders. Trauma-informed approaches to sexual health promotion that address substance abuse and psychological distress are warranted.     

Racial differences in the consequences of childhood maltreatment for adolescent and young adult depression, heavy drinking, and violence

PurposeThis study examined racial differences in the consequences of childhood maltreatment for depression, heavy drinking, and violence during adolescence and young adulthood among black and white young men.MethodsData were obtained from the Pittsburgh Youth Study, a prospective longitudinal study of urban males (N = 971, 56% black). Childhood maltreatment was defined as substantiated physical or sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional maltreatment, or moral/legal/educational maltreatment, with the first referral before 12 years of age. Self-reports of depressive symptoms and heavy drinking (consuming more than six drinks on a single occasion) and official, parent, and self-reports of violent offending were assessed between 12 and 17 years of age (adolescence) and at 24/25 years of age (young adulthood). Regression analyses were conducted to examine childhood maltreatment and race, as well as maltreatment-by-race interactions, as predictors of the three outcomes.ResultsPrevalence of childhood maltreatment was higher for black than for white boys; however, there were no racial differences in timing, type, severity, and chronicity of maltreatment. When socioeconomic status and cohort were controlled, childhood maltreatment significantly predicted depressive symptoms and violence in adolescence but none of the outcomes in young adulthood. Race was a significant predictor of heavy drinking and violence during adolescence, and of all three outcomes in young adulthood. No significant race-by-maltreatment interaction effects were found.ConclusionsChildhood maltreatment has similar negative consequences for black and white male youth during adolescence. Extending intervention efforts through adolescence is important to alleviate these problems among victims.     

Changes in Sexual Risk Behavior as Young Men Transition to Adulthood

CONTEXT: Understanding how young men’s sexual risk behaviors change during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood is important for the design and evaluation of effective strategies to reduce the transmission of HIV and other STDs. METHODS: Data from three waves of the National Survey of Adolescent Males (1988, 1991 and 1995) were used to categorize 1,880 respondents into clusters according to sexual risk behaviors. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to assess associations between clusters and rates of self‐reported STD diagnoses and positive chlamydia tests. RESULTS: Two dimensions of sexual risk‐taking defined the clusters: partner characteristics and condom use. More than 50% of men remained in low‐risk groups over time. In the first two waves, 24–32% of men reported engaging in high‐risk behaviors (risky partners, condom nonuse); these behaviors were associated with elevated levels of STD outcomes. Nearly 40% of men who entered a high‐risk group in the first two waves transitioned to a lower risk group by the third wave. Nine percent of men either engaged in increasingly risky behaviors or maintained membership in high‐risk groups; elevated STD rates characterized both trajectories. Low condom use combined with having multiple partners during adolescence was associated with elevated STD rates in the year preceding the third wave; high condom use coupled with having risky partners was not. CONCLUSIONS: The prominence of low‐risk behaviors over time suggests that most young men avoid sexual risk‐taking. Effective strategies to reduce HIV and STD risk in young men must simultaneously address multiple dimensions of sexual behavior.     

Bacterial STDs and perceived risk among sexual minority young adults

CONTEXT: Most sexual health interventions focus on heterosexual sexual risk behavior. Health practitioners face a lack of information about the sexual health of sexual minority young adults (aged 18–26). METHODS: Three indicators of sexual minority status (identity, behavior and romantic attractions) were assessed in 10,986 young adults who participated in Wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2001–2002). Logistic regression analyses examined associations between these indicators and individuals’ perceived risk for STDs and actual infection with STDs. Data from the 1,154 respondents who had current or recent bacterial STDs were investigated further to determine whether they had underestimated their risk. RESULTS: Outcomes varied by sexual minority status indicator and by sex. Bisexual females had significantly higher odds of STDs than heterosexual females (odds ratios, 1.4), and females attracted to both sexes had significantly higher odds of STDs than females attracted only to males (1.8). In contrast, none of the sexual minority status indicators predicted STDs for males. Among respondents who had an STD, females who reported only same‐sex sexual relationships were more likely to believe they were at very low risk for STDs than were females reporting only opposite‐sex sexual relationships (17.2); homosexual females had a higher likelihood of this outcome than heterosexual females (19.7). CONCLUSIONS: Health practitioners need to assist sexual minority young adults, particularly females, in under‐standing their risk for STDs and in taking safer‐sex precautions.     

Racial and ethnic disparities in sexual risk behaviors and STDs during young men's transition to adulthood

CONTEXT: Racial and ethnic health disparities are an important issue in the United States. The extent to which racial and ethnic differences in STDs among youth are related to differences in socioeconomic characteristics and risky sexual behaviors requires investigation. METHODS: Data from three waves of the National Survey of Adolescent Males (1988, 1990–1991 and 1995) were used to examine 1,880 young men’s history of STDs and their patterns and trajectories of sexual risk behavior during adolescence and early adulthood. Multinomial and logistic regression analyses were conducted to test whether racial and ethnic differences in STDs are due to the lower socioeconomic status and higher levels of risky sexual behavior among minority groups. RESULTS: Young black men reported the highest rates of sexual risk and STDs at each wave and across waves. Compared with white men, black and Latino men had higher odds of maintaining high sexual risk and increasing sexual risk over time (odds ratios, 1.7–1.9). In multivariate analyses controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, black men were more likely than white men to have a history of STDs (3.2–5.0); disparities persisted in analyses controlling for level of risky sexual behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Race and ethnicity continue to differentiate young black and Latino men from their white peers in terms of STDs. Prevention programs that target different racial and ethnic subgroups of adolescent men and address both individual‐ and contextual‐level factors are needed to curb STD incidence.     

A Prospective Investigation of Physical Health Outcomes in Abused and Neglected Children: New Findings From a 30-Year Follow-Up

Objectives. We investigated whether abused and neglected children are at risk for negative physical health outcomes in adulthood.Methods. Using a prospective cohort design, we matched children (aged 0–11 years) with documented cases of physical and sexual abuse and neglect from a US Midwestern county during 1967 through 1971 with nonmaltreated children. Both groups completed a medical status examination (measured health outcomes and blood tests) and interview during 2003 through 2005 (mean age = 41.2 years).Results. After adjusting for age, gender, and race, child maltreatment predicted above normal hemoglobin, lower albumin levels, poor peak airflow, and vision problems in adulthood. Physical abuse predicted malnutrition, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, and hemoglobin A1C. Neglect predicted hemoglobin A1C, albumin, poor peak airflow, and oral health and vision problems, Sexual abuse predicted hepatitis C and oral health problems. Additional controls for childhood socioeconomic status, adult socioeconomic status, unhealthy behaviors, smoking, and mental health problems play varying roles in attenuating or intensifying these relationships.Conclusions. Child abuse and neglect affect long-term health status—increasing risk for diabetes, lung disease, malnutrition, and vision problems—and support the need for early health care prevention.A developing scientific consensus indicates that the “origins of adult disease are often found among developmental and biological disruptions occurring during the early years of life.”1^(p2252) In the United States, an estimated 3.3 million children were referred to child protection service agencies for suspected maltreatment in 2009 and about 700 000 were determined to be victims.2 Child maltreatment has been related to numerous physical health conditions, including infectious diseases, pain, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, inflammation, obesity, and poor general health.3–11 Researchers have also found that patients who report histories of abuse have high rates of primary care visits12,13 and high annual health care costs.14,15 However, the existing literature relies heavily on cross-sectional designs that cannot demonstrate that childhood adversities cause particular outcomes but only that childhood adversities are associated with certain outcomes.16 Additionally, reliance on retrospective self-reports of childhood abuse is problematic because of problems with forgetting, reconstruction of memory, and inconsistencies in reports over time,17–24 introducing considerable ambiguity into the meaning of the associations reported in these studies. A review of studies relating childhood trauma and physical disorders among adults in the United States demonstrated that future research needs to include “objectively measured biological data using a longitudinal design.”25^(p509)This article presents findings from the first prospective study of documented cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect and matched controls who were followed up and administered a medical status examination (physical tests and blood collection) in middle adulthood. A variety of outcomes from this project have been described in previous articles.26–29 We sought to determine whether children with documented histories of abuse and neglect are at increased risk for negative physical health outcomes in adulthood compared with a group of nonabused and nonneglected matched controls and to compare these maltreated children and controls in adulthood to a US sample on comparable health indicators.30This study offers several advantages. First, unlike most cross-sectional studies of childhood maltreatment, we used a prospective matched cohort design, thereby providing an appropriate comparison group and assessment of the correct temporal sequence of events. Second, we used measured health outcomes through a physical examination and the results of blood tests, rather than self-reports of medical problems. Third, we traced development beyond adolescence and young adulthood to middle adulthood. Fourth, the large heterogeneous sample included men and women and was varied in terms of race/ethnicity. Fifth, we examined risk for negative health consequences in victims of 3 different types of childhood maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Sixth, we used unambiguous definitions of child abuse and neglect. Finally, we used documented cases of childhood maltreatment to minimize potential problems with reliance on retrospective self-reports.     

Coercive forms of sexual risk and associated violence perpetrated by male partners of female adolescents

CONTEXT: Partner violence is associated with STDs among female adolescents, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Sexually coercive and deceptive behaviors of male partners that increase female STD risk may be factors in this relationship. METHODS: A sample of 356 females aged 14–20 who attended adolescent health clinics in Greater Boston between April and December 2006 were assessed for physical and sexual violence perpetrated by male partners and for exposure to sexual risk factors. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between intimate partner violence and standard sexual risk behaviors (e.g., multiple partnerships) and coercive or deceptive sexual risk factors (e.g., coerced condom nonuse). RESULTS: More than two‐fifths of the sample had experienced intimate partner violence. In adjusted analyses, adolescents reporting intimate partner violence were more likely than others to report standard sexual risk behaviors—multiple partners, anal sex and unprotected anal sex (odds ratios, 1.7–2.2). They also were more likely to report coercive or deceptive sexual risk factors—partner sexual infidelity, fear of requesting condom use, negative consequences of condom request, and coerced condom nonuse (2.9–5.3). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of intimate partner violence against young women attending adolescent clinics strongly indicates the need to target this population for abuse‐related interventions. This need is underlined by the observed association between partner violence and sexual risk involving coercion or deception by male partners. Clinic‐based STD and pregnancy prevention efforts should include assessment of sexual risk factors that are beyond the control of young women, particularly for those experiencing abuse.     

Childhood psychological, physical, and sexual maltreatment in outpatients with binge eating disorder: frequency and associations with gender, obesity, and eating-related psychopathology

OBJECTIVE: To examine rates of reported childhood maltreatment in binge eating disorder (BED), and to explore associations with obesity, gender, eating disorder features, and associated functioning. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Subjects were 145 consecutive outpatients with BED as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) edition. Subjects were interviewed and they completed questionnaires to assess eating disorder features and functioning. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was given to assess childhood maltreatment in five domains (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect). RESULTS: A total of 83% of BED patients reported some form of childhood maltreatment. A total of 59% of BED patients reported emotional abuse, 36% reported physical abuse, 30% reported sexual abuse, 69% reported emotional neglect, and 49% reported physical neglect. There were no differences in the distribution of any form of childhood maltreatment by gender or by obesity status. The different forms of maltreatment were not associated with variability in current body mass index, binge eating, or in the attitudinal features of eating disorders. Only one of the five forms of maltreatment (physical neglect) was associated with dietary restraint in women. Emotional abuse was significantly associated with greater body dissatisfaction, higher depression, and lower self-esteem in men and women and sexual abuse was associated with greater body dissatisfaction in men. The different forms of maltreatment were unrelated to the age at onset of overweight, dieting, or binge eating. DISCUSSION: BED outpatients reported a wide range of childhood experiences of maltreatment that do not differ by gender or obesity status. Different forms of maltreatment were not associated with the onset of overweight, dieting, or binge eating, or with variability in current body mass index or eating disorder features (except for one association between physical neglect and dietary restraint). Reports of emotional abuse were associated with greater body dissatisfaction and depression and lower self-esteem in men and women and sexual abuse with greater body dissatisfaction in men.     

The legacy of child maltreatment: long-term health consequences for women

In 2001, over 903,000 children were victims of physical, sexual, or psychological maltreatment and neglect. Available retrospective and longitudinal data suggest that child maltreatment has a significant negative impact directly on women's physical and mental health in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Additionally, childhood maltreatment is a critical risk factor for physical and sexual victimization in adulthood, especially by an intimate partner. The harmful effects of victimization in adulthood among women are substantial, and the negative outcomes of adulthood victimization are especially pronounced when there is a history of childhood maltreatment. Therefore, in addition to the direct effects in childhood, child maltreatment appears to have an indirect effect on women's physical and mental health by increasing the risk for victimization which, in turn, has a direct negative impact on health. The results of existing empirical studies point to the importance of preventing child maltreatment and its short-term and long-term consequences. Intervening at an early stage may reduce a child's likelihood of developing long-term health problems, and also reduce the public health burden of child maltreatment by preventing future health problems and revictimization in adulthood with all its negative health consequences.     

儿童期虐待类型与青少年焦虑抑郁关系的相对权重分析

目的 探讨儿童期虐待类型对青少年焦虑、抑郁影响的相对效应及其性别差异,为经历虐待以及焦虑、抑郁的青少年开展干预提供参考.方法 采用方便抽样法选取重庆市2所中学6 228名中学生作为研究对象进行问卷星调查,调查人口统计学特征、儿童期虐待经历以及焦虑、抑郁情况.采用相对权重分析不同虐待经历对青少年焦虑、抑郁的影响及其性别差...     

Does Maltreatment in Childhood Affect Sexual Orientation in Adulthood?

Epidemiological studies find a positive association between physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence in childhood and same-sex sexuality in adulthood, but studies directly assessing the association between these diverse types of maltreatment and sexuality cannot disentangle the causal direction because the sequencing of maltreatment and emerging sexuality is difficult to ascertain. Nascent same-sex orientation may increase risk of maltreatment; alternatively, maltreatment may shape sexual orientation. Our study used instrumental variable models based on family characteristics that predict maltreatment but are not plausibly influenced by sexual orientation (e.g., having a stepparent) as natural experiments to investigate whether maltreatment might increase the likelihood of same-sex sexuality in a nationally representative sample (n = 34,653). In instrumental variable models, history of sexual abuse predicted increased prevalence of same-sex attraction by 2.0 percentage points [95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.4–2.5], any same-sex partners by 1.4 percentage points (95 % CI = 1.0–1.9), and same-sex identity by 0.7 percentage points (95 % CI = 0.4–0.9). Effects of sexual abuse on men’s sexual orientation were substantially larger than on women’s. Effects of non-sexual maltreatment were significant only for men and women’s sexual identity and women’s same-sex partners. While point estimates suggest much of the association between maltreatment and sexual orientation may be due to the effects of maltreatment on sexual orientation, confidence intervals were wide. Our results suggest that causal relationships driving the association between sexual orientation and childhood abuse may be bidirectional, may differ by type of abuse, and may differ by sex. Better understanding of this potentially complex causal structure is critical to developing targeted strategies to reduce sexual orientation disparities in exposure to abuse.     

Maltreatment and Behavioral Characteristics of Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

This paper summarizes the available literature on child abuse and neglect among children with disabilities in general and considers children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing within this larger rubric given the low prevalence rates of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing among the disabled population. This procedure allows for comparisons between disabilities as well as abused and non-abused children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Maltreatment data on children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing in a large epidemiological study of the prevalence of child maltreatment among children with disabilities are summarized. Children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing comprised 6.1% of the disabled population who were identified as victims of maltreatment. Their most prevalent form of maltreatment was neglect, followed by physical abuse and sexual abuse. Although children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are significantly more likely to be maltreated by immediate family members, placement in a residential school is a risk factor for sexual and physical abuse. Maltreated children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing exhibit significantly more behavior problems including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related behaviors than nonmaltreated peers.     

Maltreatment Clusters Among Youth in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment: Co-Occurring Patterns of Psychiatric Symptoms and Sexual Risk Behaviors

The purpose of the current study was to describe the use of a brief maltreatment assessment instrument to classify adolescents receiving alcohol or other drug (AOD) treatment services based on the extensiveness and severity of prior maltreatment. This goal is significant because maltreatment reduces the effectiveness of AOD treatment and is associated significantly with co-occurring patterns of psychiatric symptoms and sexual risk behaviors. Structured interviews were administered to 300 adolescent treatment clients (202 males, 98 females; M = 16.22 years; SD = 1.13 years) to assess childhood maltreatment experiences, past year psychiatric symptoms, and sexual risk behaviors during the past 180 days. Cluster analysis classified adolescents into unique groups via self-reported sexual abuse, physical punishment, and parental neglect/negative home environment. Significant between-cluster differences in psychiatric symptoms and sexual risk behaviors were documented using MANOVA and chi-square analyses. More severe maltreatment profiles were associated with higher scores for psychiatric symptoms and unprotected intercourse. Significant heterogeneity and distinct types within this treatment sample of adolescents supports the adaptation of selected prevention efforts to promote HIV/STI risk reduction.     

STD and HIV risk factors among U.S. young adults: variations by gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation

CONTEXT: STDs, including HIV, disproportionately affect individuals who have multiple minority identities. Understanding differences in STD risk factors across racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups, as well as genders, is important for tailoring public health interventions. METHODS: Data from Waves 3 (2001–2002) and 4 (2007–2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to develop population‐based estimates of STD and HIV risk factors among 11,045 young adults (mean age, 29 at Wave 4), by gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation (heterosexual, mixed‐oriented, gay). Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between risk factors and young adults’ characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, sexual‐minority women in each racial or ethnic group had a higher prevalence of sexual risk behaviors—including a history of multiple partners, forced sex and incarceration—than their heterosexual counterparts. Mixed‐oriented women in each racial or ethnic group were more likely than heterosexual white women to have received an STD diagnosis (odds ratios, 1.8–6.4). Black men and sexual‐minority men also appeared to be at heightened risk. Gay men in all racial and ethnic groups were significantly more likely than heterosexual white men to report having received an STD diagnosis (2.3–8.3); compared with heterosexual white men, mixed‐oriented black men had the highest odds of having received such a diagnosis (15.2). CONCLUSIONS: Taking account of multiple minority identities should be an important part of future research and intervention efforts for STD and HIV prevention.     

Childhood Maltreatment and Mid-Life Adult Sexuality: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study

One important long-term outcome of childhood maltreatment is thought to be impairments in intimate relationships. However, the specific nature of these impairments is not well understood. To address this gap, we examined the long-term relation of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse/neglect to four key aspects of sexuality in women and men: importance of sex, intimacy in sex, pain during sex, and pleasure during sex. As part of the U.S. longitudinal National Survey of Midlife Development, 807 participants in their mid-life (410 women, 397 men) completed measures of recollected childhood maltreatment and current aspects of adult sexuality. These measures were obtained at baseline (at which time the mean age was 53.28 years (SD?=?10.97) and again 10 years later. For women at baseline, emotional abuse was positively associated with pleasure, emotional neglect was negatively associated with intimacy and with pleasure, physical abuse was positively associated with pain, and physical neglect was associated with importance of sex. For men, no significant associations were found. Prospectively, for women, sexual abuse predicted increases in pleasure during sex, and physical abuse significantly predicted increases in pain during sex. For men, physical neglect significantly predicted increases in pain. We discuss these sex differences and the role these results may play in the detrimental long-term effects of childhood maltreatment.

     

Does Physical Abuse,Sexual Abuse,or Neglect in Childhood Increase the Likelihood of Same-sex Sexual Relationships and Cohabitation? A Prospective 30-year Follow-up

Existing cross-sectional research suggests associations between physical and sexual abuse in childhood and same-sex sexual orientation in adulthood. This study prospectively examined whether abuse and/or neglect in childhood were associated with increased likelihood of same-sex partnerships in adulthood. The sample included physically abused (N = 85), sexually abused (N = 72), and neglected (N = 429) children (ages 0–11) with documented cases during 1967–1971 who were matched with non-maltreated children (N = 415) and followed into adulthood. At approximately age 40, participants (483 women and 461 men) were asked about romantic cohabitation and sexual partners, in the context of in-person interviews covering a range of topics. Group (abuse/neglect versus control) differences were assessed with cross-tabulations and logistic regression. A total of 8% of the overall sample reported any same-sex relationship (cohabitation or sexual partners). Childhood physical abuse and neglect were not significantly associated with same-sex cohabitation or sexual partners. Individuals with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse were significantly more likely than controls to report ever having had same-sex sexual partners (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.16–6.80, p ≤ .05); however, only men with histories of childhood sexual abuse were significantly more likely than controls to report same-sex sexual partners (OR = 6.75, 95% CI = 1.53–29.86, p ≤ .01). These prospective findings provide tentative evidence of a link between childhood sexual abuse and same-sex sexual partnerships among men, although further research is needed to explore this relationship and to examine potential underlying mechanisms.     

Daily participation in sports and students' sexual activity

CONTEXT: Previous studies suggest that student athletes may be less likely than nonathletes to engage in sexual behavior. However, few have explored sexual risk behavior among athletes in early adolescence. METHODS: In 2005, a sample of 10,487 students in 26 Los Angeles public middle and high schools completed a self‐administered survey that asked about their demographic characteristics, sports participation, sexual behaviors and expectations, and parental relationships. Chi‐square analyses compared reported levels of daily participation in sports, experience with intercourse, experience with oral sex and condom use at last intercourse by selected characteristics. Predictors of sexual experience and condom use were assessed in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: One‐third of students reported daily participation in sports. This group had higher odds of ever having had intercourse and ever having had oral sex than their peers who did not play a sport daily (odds ratios, 1.2 and 1.1, respectively). The increases in risk were greater for middle school sports participants than for their high school counterparts (1.5 and 1.6, respectively). Among sexually experienced students, daily sports participants also had elevated odds of reporting condom use at last intercourse (1.4). CONCLUSIONS: Students as young as middle school age who participate in sports daily may have an elevated risk for STDs and pregnancy. Health professionals should counsel middle school athletes about sexual risk reduction, given that young students may find it particularly difficult to obtain contraceptives, STD testing and prevention counseling.