Health Effects of Child Abuse Continue for Decades
A long-term study of more than 3,000 middle-aged women discovers women abused as children spend up to one-third more than average in health-care costs.
“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.
“No other study has found that before.”
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.
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