Childhood abuse increases asthma risk

Children who suffer physical or sexual abuse have double the risk of developing asthma. Several studies have found higher rates of asthma among individuals who were exposed to emotional distress and violence during childhood. To see if certain stressors boost childhood asthma risk, researchers from America followed up 1213 children who had been exposed to violence at home or in their communities. The researchers conducted household surveys and interviewed children and their caretakers to get information regarding stress and violence exposure. It was found that nearly 40 percent of the children had been diagnosed with asthma at some point. During the year before the survey, 14 percent of all the children had seen an act of violence, 7 percent had been victims of violence, and 6 percent had suffered physical or sexual abuse. No relationship was found between exposure to neighbourhood violence or stressful life events and a child's asthma risk. However, those who had been victims of sexual or physical abuse were three times more likely to have asthma. Though the above findings hint towards a link between exposure to stress and violence and increased risk of asthma in children, further research is expected to examine potential mechanisms behind the abuse-asthma link, such as alterations in the body's ability to respond to stress.

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