Table 4.
Comparisons of adverse childhood experiences and family dysfunction among FEWs with a lower and higher level of psychological distress
| Adverse childhood experiences and family dysfunction | Total | Total GHQ-12 score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 657) | ≤3 (n = 373) | >3 (n = 284) | p-value* | |
| Adverse childhood experiences | ||||
| Physically hurt that needed medical care | 171 (26.0) | 72 (19.3) | 99 (34.9) | <0.001 |
| Family member said hurtful or insulting things to | 166 (25.3) | 67 (18.0) | 99 (34.9) | <0.001 |
| Someone touched in a sexual way | 129 (19.6) | 58 (15.5) | 71 (25.0) | 0.003 |
| Had someone to take care of or protect | 562 (85.5) | 332 (89.0) | 230 (81.0) | 0.004 |
| Someone in family made me feel that I was loved | 593 (90.3) | 341 (91.4) | 252 (88.7) | 0.25 |
| Family dysfunction | ||||
| Parent or guardian had been physically abused | 184 (28.0) | 75 (20.1) | 109 (38.4) | <0.001 |
| Family member was a problem drinker/drug user | 243 (37.0) | 115 (30.8) | 128 (45.2) | <0.001 |
| Family member had been depressed/mentally ill | 161 (24.5) | 64 (17.2) | 97 (34.2) | <0.001 |
| Parents ever been separated or divorced | 124 (18.9) | 65 (17.4) | 59 (20.8) | 0.39 |
| Family member had been to prison | 47 (7.2) | 18 (4.8) | 29 (10.2) | 0.008 |
Abbreviations: FEWs female entertainment workers, GHQ general health questionnaire
Values are number (%)
*Chi-square test was used