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February 19, 2008Women Who Suffered Child Abuse Spend More on Health Care |
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From Ascribe Newsfeed: Middle-aged women who suffered physical or sexual abuse as children spend up to one-third more than average in health-care costs, according to a long-term study of more than 3,000 women. Even decades after the abuse ended, these women used health services at significantly higher rates than did non-abused women, the research found. "What's remarkable is that women with an average age in their late 40s still suffer consequences from abuse that occurred decades ago," said Amy Bonomi, associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University, who led the study at Group Health in Seattle. Women who had no history of abuse spent an average of $2,413 a year (in 2004 dollars) on health care costs. Women who were sexually abused only paid an average of $382 a year more, those who were physically abused spent $502 more, and women who suffered both types of abuse spent $790 a year in additional health care costs. While other studies had linked childhood abuse to higher adult health care costs, this research provides the most comprehensive and accurate evidence to date, Bonomi said. For one, it includes actual health care data on the women, complete with physician visits and pharmacy use. Other studies have relied on participants to report their health care use. Group Health, the health care system whose members were surveyed for the study, provides health and insurance services to more than 500,000 people in the Pacific Northwest. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press.
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