Physical and sexual violence among North Carolina women: associations with physical health, mental health, and functional impairment.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines links between women's experiences of violence during adulthood (including physical and sexual violence) and women's physical health, mental health, and functional status.

METHODS: Data were analyzed from a representative sample of 9,830 North Carolina women surveyed by the North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

RESULTS: One-quarter of the women experienced violence as adults, with current or ex-partners being the most common perpetrators. Logistic regression analyses that controlled for the sociodemographic characteristics of the women found that women who experienced violence were significantly more likely than other women to have poor physical health, poor mental health, and functional limitations. Moreover, these negative health outcomes were most prevalent among the women who experienced a combination of both physical and sexual violence.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the need for trauma-informed women's health services and policies.