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42 Profile of cardiovascular risk factors among child sexual abuse victims in Puerto Rico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2023

Linda R. Parez
Affiliation:
Laras University of Puerto Rico
Linda Laras
Affiliation:
Medical Science Campus
San Juan
Affiliation:
Bautista School of Medicine
Melissa Marzan
Affiliation:
Rodroguez, Ponce Health Science University
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Abstract

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OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a group of victims of CSA in Puerto Rico and determine the impact of both the offender and the number of victimizations on the presentation of cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A study design of a retrospective chart review at a clinical forensic service in Puerto Rico. The demographic variables were age, sex, and health plan; the CV risk factors were family health history, level of physical activity, blood pressure, BMI, and lipid profile. Sexual violence experience variables were sexual assault, sexual molestation, the relationship with the offender, and the number of victimizations. Medical records were used to identify cardiovascular risk factors and variables associated with child sexual abuse victimization. Central tendency and frequencies were used to describe the risk factors and victimization. The Mann–Whitney and Fisher exact tests were used to determine the differences between the type of victimization and the risk factors for cardiovascular health. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Most of the victims were female (81%), with an average age of 10 (SD 3.8). According to the 31 reviewed charts, 55% were victims of sexual assault, the offender was a family member (84%), and the assault had occurred more than once (81%). The study also found that systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI) were at unhealthy levels (based on age and sex); when the victim reported sexual assault, the offender was a family member, and more than one assault occurred. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar were statistically significant among victims who reported being either sexually assaulted or sexually molested when the offender was a family member, and the victimization occurred more than once. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study indicated a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors in children victims of sexual assault. The blood pressure, lipid profiles, and BMIs were much higher than the standards. Early childhood screening is crucial in alerting health professionals to a child’s exposure to trauma.

Type
Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. The Association for Clinical and Translational Science