Domestic Abuse Tied to Higher Risk for New Atopic Disease

Higher risk seen for asthma, atopic eczema, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is significantly associated with a higher risk for developing atopic disease, according to a study published online May 5 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Katrina Nash, M.B.Ch.B., from University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the association between exposure to DVA and the subsequent development of atopy. The analysis included women with no history of atopic disease (Jan. 1, 1995, to Sept. 30, 2019) with exposure to DVA (13,852) and unexposed patients (49,036) who were matched by age and deprivation quintile.

The researchers found that the incidence rate for new atopic disease was 20.10 per 1,000 person-years in exposed women versus 13.24 per 1,000 person-years in unexposed women. When adjusting for confounders, the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.52 overall and 1.69 for asthma, 1.40 for atopic eczema, and 1.63 for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

“Our study found that women who are exposed to DVA are at increased risk for developing atopic disease, in alignment with previous observational data,” the authors write. “Therefore, implementation of systematic public health measures, adopting the consideration of DVA in clinical interactions with patients who present with ill health, and encouragement of measures to prevent DVA in wider society by public health professionals and its devastating downstream consequences are urgently needed.”