Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Health Outcomes Among Veteran and Non-Veteran Women

Abstract

Background: Women veterans represent a vulnerable population with unique health needs and disparities in access to care. One constellation of exposures related to subsequent poor health includes adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; e.g., physical and sexual child abuse), though research on impacts of ACEs among women veterans is limited. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the 11 states that included the ACE module (n = 36,485). Weighted chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the prevalence of ACEs among women veterans compared with women non-veterans and differences in the following outcomes, controlling for ACEs: social support, inadequate sleep, life satisfaction, mental distress, smoking, heavy alcohol use, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease symptoms, asthma, and disability. Results: Women veterans (1.6% of the total sample) reported a higher prevalence of 7 out of 11 childhood adversities and higher mean ACE score than women non-veterans. Women veterans were more likely to be current smokers and report a disability, associations which were attenuated when controlling for ACE. Conclusions: Despite women veterans' higher prevalence of ACE, their health outcomes did not differ substantially from non-veterans. Further research is needed to understand the intersections of traumatic experiences and sources of resilience over the lifecourse among women veterans.

Child and adolescent violence: oral story of women who attempted suicide

“…Some of these signs emerge in the interviewees' testimony, such as the belief that they will not be able to establish affective bonds, especially in the sexual area. Corroborating that this type of violence can negatively affect the image and self-esteem of women for many years, contributing to the difficulty of finding partners or even maintaining lasting affective commitments, other problems associated with aggravation are sexual dissatisfaction, loss of pleasure and pain (29)(30) .…”

Evidence Review—Social Determinants of Health for Veterans

“…Articles comparing Veterans and non-Veterans used different measures to assess different trauma types (online Appendix Table 5). Six articles examined adverse childhood experiences 29,60,77,100,103,118,145 and the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale (ACEs) was the most commonly used measure. 29,77,100 All three articles using ACEs employed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, which included an ACEs module in multiple years.…”

“…Veterans and non-Veterans. 100,145 Inconsistencies were likely due to a broad range of historical periods and cohorts being studied (i.e., Vietnam era through wars in Iraq and Afghanistan), and differences in age, sex, race/ethnicity, and other key participant characteristics (online Appendix Table 5). One article included only homeless smokers.…”

Dissociative symptoms mediate the relation between PTSD symptoms and functional impairment in a sample of military members, veterans, and first responders with PTSD

“…In addition, reported levels of exposure to childhood abuse are significantly higher among military members and veterans when compared with the general population (Afifi et al, 2016; McCauley, Blosnich, & Dichter, 2015). Importantly, childhood abuse is associated with suicide and suicide attempts (Afifi et al, 2016), high utilization of mental health care services and perceived need for mental health care (Turner et al, 2017), and reduced health-related quality of life (Katon et al, 2015) among military members.…”