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. 2010;12(6):PCC.10m00950. doi: 10.4088/PCC.10m00950blu

Table 3.

Relationship Between Screening and Select Variables Measuring Perceived Role, Confidence, Barriers, Personal Experiences, Practice, and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents in 2007 (N = 313)abc

Sometimes/Usually/Always Screen for a History of Childhood Trauma Statistics
Usually/Always Screen for a History of Childhood Trauma Statistics
Variable χ2 P χ2 P
Gender
 Male (n = 153) 110 (71.9) 2.14 .144 35 (22.9) 6.30 .012
 Female (n = 153) 121 (79.1) 55 (35.9)
Practice type
 Non-community health center (n = 225) 161 (71.6) 6.63 .010 56 (24.9) 8.05 .005
 Community health center (n = 79) 68 (86.1) 33 (41.8)
Percent of adult primary care female patients believed to have a history of childhood trauma
  ≤ 10% (n = 64) 39 (60.9) 9.26 .002 10 (15.6) 7.41 .006
  > 10% (n = 242) 192 (79.3) 80 (33.1)
Percent of adult primary care male patients believed to have a history of childhood trauma
  ≤ 10% (n = 180) 132 (73.3) 1.10 .294 50 (27.8) 0.56 .453
  > 10% (n = 126) 99 (78.6) 40 (31.7)
Percent of all adult primary care patients believed to have a history of childhood trauma
  ≤ 10% male or female (n = 183) 135 (73.8) 0.86 .353 50 (27.3) 1.40 .237
  > 10% male or female (n = 125) 98 (78.4) 42 (33.6)
Care for other patients besides adult primary care
 Pregnant women
  No (n = 156) 108 (69.2) 6.90 .009 42 (26.9) 1.40 .237
  Yes (n = 151) 124 (82.1) 50 (33.1)
How confident are you in your ability to screen for a history of childhood abuse?
  Not at all/somewhat (n = 152) 93 (61.2) 33.07 <.001 24 (15.8) 26.29 <.001
  Moderate/very (n = 153) 137 (89.5) 65 (42.5)
To what extent do you think it is your role as a physician to screen for a history of childhood abuse?
  Not at all/small extent (n = 63) 30 (47.6) 33.07 <.001 3 (4.8) 23.38 <.001
  Moderate/great extent (n = 242) 200 (82.6) 87 (36.0)
How useful to the patient do you think it is for a family physician to screen for a history of childhood abuse?
  Not at all/somewhat (n = 84) 47 (56.0) 23.45 <.001 7 (8.3) 23.98 <.001
  Moderate/very (n = 220) 182 (82.7) 81 (36.8)
Self-reported history of personal trauma
  Never (n = 194) 141 (72.7) 2.69 .101 49 (25.3) 3.69 .055
  At least sometimes (n = 97) 79 (81.4) 35 (36.1)
Self-reported history of personal trauma to oneself (minus witnessing trauma)
  Never (n = 205) 150 (73.2) 2.22 .136 53 (25.9) 3.07 .080
  At least sometimes (n = 86) 70 (81.4) 31 (36.0)
Do you know someone with a history of childhood trauma outside of your professional relationships?
  No (n = 81) 51 (63.0) 9.21 .002 20 (24.7) 1.08 .300
  Yes (n = 224) 179 (79.9) 69 (30.8)
If patient reveals a childhood abuse history, refer patient to a mental health specialist
  Rarely/never/sometimes (n = 74) 59 (79.7) 0.95 .330 27 (36.5) 2.35 .125
  Usually/always (n = 232) 172 (74.1) 63 (27.2)
If patient reveals a childhood abuse history, discuss history in some detail with patient
  Rarely/never/sometimes (n = 137) 94 (68.6) 7.28 .007 35 (25.5) 1.76 .184
  Usually/always (n = 166) 136 (81.9) 54 (32.5)
If patient reveals a childhood abuse history, discuss medications to help relieve persisting symptoms
  Rarely/never/sometimes (n = 202) 146 (72.3) 3.58 .059 59 (29.2) 0.01 .929
  Usually/always (n = 101) 83 (82.2) 30 (29.7)
If patient reveals a childhood abuse history, bring up abuse history at subsequent visits
  Rarely/never/sometimes (n = 212) 153 (72.2) 4.07 .044 57 (26.9) 2.48 .116
  Usually/always (n = 89) 74 (83.1) 32 (36.0)
Sometimes/Usually/Always Versus Never/Rarely Screen for a History of Childhood Trauma Statistics
Usually/Always Versus Never/Rarely/Sometimes Screen for a History of Childhood Trauma Statistics
Variable t P t P
Time as a barrier to screening sum score, mean (SD)d 1.54 (0.50) vs 1.64 (0.55) 1.27 .206 1.54 (0.49) vs 1.78 (0.61) 3.30 .001
My patients are unlikely victims of childhood abuse as a barrier to screening sum score, mean (SD)d 2.73 (0.51) vs 2.84 (0.42) 1.77 .079 2.76 (0.49) vs 2.94 (0.26) 3.96 <.001
Discomfort with screening, little I can do to help patients as a barrier to screening sum score, mean (SD)d 2.52 (0.38) vs 2.64 (0.33) 2.42 .017 2.56 (0.36) vs 2.73 (0.26) 4.47 <.001
Years in practice, mean (SD) 15.43 (9.24) vs 13.61 (9.51) 1.44 .151 14.40 (9.51) vs 13.23 (9.35) 0.97 .331
a

Data are presented as n (%) unless otherwise specified.

b

Some variables may not total to 313 because of sporadic missing data.

c

Bolded values indicate statistical significance.

d

For barrier variables, a higher score indicates it was reported as less of a barrier.