Effects of Maltreatment on Physical Health Flashcards
What does the ACE’s survey measured?
- Domestic violence
- Substance abuse
- Mental illness
- Parental separating/divorce
- Incarcerated parent
- Emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional neglect
- Physical neglect
What are three allostatic systems?
- Endocrine system
- Nervous system
- Immune system
What is cardiovascular disease?
Diseases including the heart and/or blood vessels
What is the estimated assocation between maltreatment and cardiovascular disease?
Severe physical abuse: 45% higher risk
Sexual abuse: 62% higher risk
What are some diseases that can disrupt normal metabolism
-Metabolic syndrome: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, high cholesterol
-Obesity
-Type 2 Diabetes
Is there a link between childhood maltreatment and obesity?
- A meta-analysis of 41 studies supports this link
What is the relationship between cognitive decline and dementia?
- Loss of myelin integrity (sheet that protects our brain)
- Cortical thinning
- Drop in regional brain volume
- Together, changes can lead to forgetfulness, lower problem-solving ability, decreased attention
- Higher prevalence of these issues in adults who report childhood experiences of maltreatment
What are telomeres?
They are necleotide repeats that cap the end of chromosomes and function to protect DNA from damage during replication
- Considered to be a marker for biological age
- Get shorter as we get older, they also shorter due to stress
What is the relationship between maltreatment and cellular aging?
Retrospective reports of moderate/severe maltreatment associated with shorter telomere length in adults
What is the relationship between number of childhood adversitites and cellular aging?
Number of childhood adversities (death of parent, severe marital discord, parental substance use, etc) associated with telomere length
What is the relationship between exposure to violence and cellular aging?
associated with telomere length attrition from age 5 to age 10
What is the relationship between between length of time in institutional care and cellular aging?
associated with shorter telomere length in middle childhood
What is allostatis?
- “Stability through change”
- Adaption in the face of stressful situations
- Via changes in hormones
- Adaptive in the short term
What is allostatic load?
Wear and tear on the body due to chronic stress
Constantly managing threats through activating body’s response systems
What is the relationship between smoking and ACE score?
The higher the ACE score the higher the percentage
