CHILD Maltreatment Among Asian-American Women: HIV RISK Behaviors, Depression and Suicidality

Background: What is the prevalence of child maltreatment among Asian-American women? Are different types of maltreatment associated with HIV risk behaviors, depression and suicidality? Answers to these questions are critical for developing culturally appropriate interventions for this population. Nonetheless, empirical evidence for this population is scarce.

Objective: This study was designed to examine the role of multiple child maltreatment on HIV risk behaviors and mental health functions among single Asian-American women.

Methods: Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese women (n = 501) were interviewed using Computer-Assisted Survey Interviews. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between child maltreatment and HIV risk behaviors, as well as mental health outcomes.

Results: Approximately six in ten women reported having been maltreated as a child and 5% reported having been sexually abused as a child. We found no evidence that experience of child sexual abuse plus other maltreatment predicts sexual risk behaviors, which contradicts findings in studies with other racial groups. However, exposure to child sexual abuse plus other maltreatment was associated with higher risks for depression (OR = 3.2) and suicidal attempts (OR = 11.7).

Conclusions: Those who experienced sexual abuse plus other maltreatment were at greater risk for depression and suicidality, compared to those who had never been maltreated. The null finding between multiple child maltreatment and HIV risk behaviors is consistent with Asian cultural norms of internalizing trauma. These new findings demonstrate that prevention of child maltreatment among Asian-American women may be the key to reducing mental health problems.