Advances in child sexual maltreatment epidemiology - Long term impact of child sexual abuse among Saudi Arabian adults

Back ground: Childhood sexual abuse can hinder normal social growth and be a cause of many different psychosocial problems. A number of studies have explored the relationship between childhood trauma and later health... [ view full abstract ]

Back ground: Childhood sexual abuse can hinder normal social growth and be a cause of many different psychosocial problems. A number of studies have explored the relationship between childhood trauma and later health concerns. However, few researchers have explored this association among Saudi Arabian adults.
Objective: to examine the association between sexual abuse (one type of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)) among Saudi nationals and subsequent mental health disorders and risky behaviors.
Methods: In 2013, a cross-sectional study, supported by a grant from King Abdullah International Medical Research Center was conducted among 10,156 adults in 13 regions across KSA using a modified Arabic version of the World Health Organization-ACE-International Questionnaire (WHO-ACE-IQ). This tool has been widely used across many countries and in KSA (unpublished data). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and chi-square analysis were calculated to assess the relationship between sexual abuse, mental health and risky behaviors.
Results: The results revealed a strong association between overall ACE and mental health and risky behaviors. People reporting 4 or more adverse childhood experiences were significantly more likely to complain of mental health disorders and health risk behaviors. The total number of respondents in this study was 10156. 12% (1218) of the participants reported being exposed to sexual abuse in their childhood, with a mean age of 33.7±10.9 years. The majority (61%) were males, employed (53%), and married (54%) and 31% were college educated. Compared to non-sexually abused, people who had a history of sexual abuse were more likely to have depression(OR=2.5) , anxiety (OR=2.0) and mental illness (OR=3.6). Sexually abused people were also more likely to become smokers (OR=1.8), addicted to alcohol (OR=4.8 ) and drug addicts (OR=5.4).
Conclusion: To prevent mental health disorder and health risk behaviors among adults in Saudi Arabia, more attention is needed to prevent child sexual abuse.