The University of Kentucky contributed to a new study showing people who experience interpersonal violence as a child or adult have a higher chance of developing adult diabetes. Dr. Anne Coker is the interim executive director at UK’s Center for Research on Violence Against Women.
“It's a 20 to 35% increase if a person has experienced both child abuse, as well as intimate partner violence, that person has a 35% increased risk of developing diabetes," Coker said.
The study was recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. Coker said the violence study participants spoke of tended to be a prolonged experience.
“We believe we have a sense that when we're talking about intimate partner violence and child abuse, those are those are forms of violence that are typically are not one off. In other words, there's a duration of exposure.”
Coker said victims who talk about their experiences, whether to a therapist, friend or family member, can reduce their chances of contracting the disease.
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