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Longitudinal Analysis of Maternal Risk Factors for Childhood Sexual Abuse: Early Attitudes and Behaviours, Socioeconomic Status, and Mental Health

Martin, Andrew K., Najman, Jake M., Williams, Gail M., Bor, William, Gorton, Emma, Alati, Rosa (2011) Longitudinal Analysis of Maternal Risk Factors for Childhood Sexual Abuse: Early Attitudes and Behaviours, Socioeconomic Status, and Mental Health. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45 (8). pp. 629-637. ISSN 0004-8674. (doi:10.3109/00048674.2011.587395) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:79715)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.3109/00048674.2011.587395

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal factors such as socioeconomic status (SES), attitudes towards the baby, and mental health at 6 months or earlier, are associated with non-penetrative and penetrative childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in her offspring. Methods: This was a prospective birth cohort study followed up to 21 years. Set in one of two obstetric hospitals in Brisbane, Australia, the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) involves a prospective birth cohort from a population based sample of 7223 singletons whose mothers were enrolled between 1981 and 1984 at the first antenatal visit. The present cohort consisted of 2664 participants who provided CSA data, and whose mothers had responded to all relevant questions. Results: About 16 of young adults reported non-penetrative sexual abuse before the age of sixteen and 9 reported penetrative abuse. After adjusting for all variables in the model, an increased risk for non-penetrative CSA was associated with the child being female, unwanted pregnancy, mother being a heavy smoker, and maternal anxiety. Increased risk for penetrative CSA was associated with the child being female, the mother having failed to complete a high school level education, living in an alternative arrangement other than marriage, and being either a moderate or heavy smoker. We found no associations between maternal age and CSA after correcting for other predictors. Conclusion: CSA was not uncommon in this cohort with one in four reporting some form of sexual abuse before 16. The results suggest that several early factors may predict later CSA and that the associations are different according to type of CSA.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.3109/00048674.2011.587395
Uncontrolled keywords: adult; alcohol consumption; anxiety disorder; article; Australia; breast feeding; child sexual abuse; controlled study; correlational study; educational status; female; gender; human; income; lifestyle; longitudinal study; major clinical study; male; marriage; maternal age; maternal attitude; maternal behavior; maternal smoking; maternal stress; maternal welfare; mental health; progeny; prospective study; risk assessment; social status; unwanted pregnancy, Adolescent; Adult; Australia; Child; Child Abuse, Sexual; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Maternal Behavior; Mental Health; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Social Class; Young Adult
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Andrew Martin
Date Deposited: 05 Feb 2020 10:38 UTC
Last Modified: 06 Mar 2023 12:02 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/79715 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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