Sexual assault and sexual harassment at work related to health problems

Middle-aged women who have been harassed or sexually assaulted, at work or otherwise, are more likely to have mental or physical health problems, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh.

The study focused on 304 non-smoking women aged 40 to 60 years, taking into account several factors such as race, age and obesity.

The researchers found that women who were sexually harassed at work were 9% more likely to have high blood pressure than women who did not experience this trauma. Hypertension is a risk factor for several diseases, including heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.

Lead author Rebecca Thurston heads the Women's Biomedentials Health Laboratory in Pitt. She added that cardiovascular problems in old age can lead to problems such as heart attacks, which usually do not occur before the age of 60.

"When we think about women's cardiovascular health," she said, "we often view midlife as an important opportunity for intervention and prevention."

The study found that female victims of sexual harassment at the workplace are also 14% more likely to have difficulty sleeping. Which, in addition to affecting mood and job performance, can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Like victims of sexual harassment in the workplace, researchers found that female victims of sexual assault were more likely to have trouble sleeping. Compared to those who have not been abused, survivors are 16% more likely to sleep poorly.

The study found that victims of sexual assault are 14% more likely to have depression and 18% more likely to be anxious. Although this group has no high rate of hypertension, Thurston said they could have other health problems that the study did not examine.

"Mental health and physical health are almost impossible to dissociate completely when you are considering a life," she said. "With poor mental health outcomes, you are aging with potentially bad physical health and disability."

In light of these findings, Thurston stated that interventions to prevent harassment and sexual assault could lead to better outcomes for women's health.

The study was published Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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