Diabetes: Violence and abuse experienced in adulthood increase the risk

“Exposure to violence or interpersonal abuse throughout life has been associated with several chronic diseases, including adult-onset diabetes, but this trend has not been confirmed based on patients’ gender and ethnicity,” said researchers from Meharry Medical College (USA). In a recent study, they used data from a cohort called the “Southern Community Cohort Study,” conducted from 2002 to 2009 and 2012 to 2015, to explore the link between lifetime maltreatment and chronic hyperglycemia. The research in question involved 25,251 adults.

Diabetes: A 23% Increased Risk for Maltreated Adults: “In 2022, prospective analyses of low-income individuals living in the southeastern United States were conducted to examine the risk of adult-onset diabetes associated with violence or interpersonal abuse throughout life, taking into account gender and ethnicity. Lifetime violence or interpersonal abuse was defined as physical or psychological violence, threats, or abuse in adulthood, as well as childhood abuse or neglect,” the team clarified.

According to the results published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, interpersonal violence or abuse in adulthood was associated with an estimated 23% increased risk of diabetes. The authors found that children who experienced neglect were 15% more likely to develop this chronic disease, while those who suffered from abuse had a 26% higher risk.

Strategies to Reduce Violence and its Consequences on Chronic Illness: When combining violence or abuse in adulthood with childhood maltreatment or neglect, the risk of diabetes was 35% higher than in individuals who had not experienced maltreatment. “This trend is consistent among both Black and White participants, as well as among women and men,” the scientists specified. They emphasized the importance of implementing effective prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the short-term and long-term social and health consequences of partner violence and child maltreatment.

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