Sexual and physical abuse in women with fibromyalgia: Association with outpatient health care utilization and pain medication usage
Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the relationship between sexual and/or physical abuse and health care usage in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and identify variables that may influence this relationship. Methods. We assessed history of sexuall physical abuse, health care utilization, and medication usage, as well as related variables in 75 women with FM using standardized questionnaires, structured interviews, and laboratory pain perception tasks. Results. Fifty‐seven percent of FM patients reported a history of sexuall physical abuse. Compared to non‐abused patients, abused patients reported significantly greater utilization of outpatient health care services for problems other than FM and greater use of medications for pain (P ≤ 0.025). Consistent with our expectations, abused patients also were characterized by significantly greater pain, fatigue, functional disability, and stress, as well as by a tendency to label dolorimeter stimuli as painful regardless of their intensities (P ≤ 0.05). Additional analyses suggested that the high frequency of sexuall physical abuse in our patients was associated primarily with seeking health care for chronic pain rather than the FM syndrome itself or genetic factors. Conclusion. There is an association in FM patients between sexuall physical abuse and increased use of outpatient health care services and medications for pain. This association may be influenced by clinical symptoms, functional disability, psychiatric disorders, stress, and abnormal pain perception. The relationships among these variables should be further tested in prospective, population‐based studies.
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Higher overall health care utilisation is associated with histories of trauma and abuse.
“Multiple studies have shown associations between higher overall health care utilisation and histories of trauma and abuse [56,57].”
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“Multiple studies have shown associations between higher overall health care utilisation and histories of trauma and abuse [56,57].”
Background
- Authors
- Alexander, R. W., Aaron, L. A., Alberts, K. R., Martin, M. Y., Stewart, K. E., Bradley, L. A., Alarcón, G. S., & Triana‐Alexander, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bradley, Laurence A.
- Venue
- Arthritis & Rheumatism
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-04
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 102-115
- ISSN
- 0004-3591 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-0131
- OpenAlex
- W1966370703
- Cited by
- 190
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 5.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Arthritis & Rheumatism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (5 M0100032)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (2 P60 AR20641-15, 1 RO1 AR43236-01)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- fibromyalgia, sexual abuse, physical abuse, health care utilization, analgesic use, chronic pain, pain perception, women, fatigue, functional disability, stress, mental illness
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Analgesia, Analgesics, Child Abuse, Chronic Disease, Female, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Pain, Pain Measurement, Surveys and Questionnaires, Spouse Abuse, Case-Control Studies, Survivors
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