Childhood sexual trauma in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a case control study

Authors

  • J. Curtis Nickel Department of Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
  • Dean A. Tripp Departments of Psychology, Anesthesia & Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
  • Michel Pontari Department of Urology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
  • Robert Moldwin Hofstra University School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY
  • Robert Mayer School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
  • Lesley K. Carr Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • Ragi Doggweiler Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
  • Claire C. Yang Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
  • Nagendra Mishra Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Ahmedabad, India
  • Jorgen Nordling University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.732

Abstract

Background: The impact of early lifetime trauma on symptom
severity and quality of life of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder
pain syndrome (IC/BPS) has not been fully elucidated. We
wanted to determine and compare the prevalence and impact of
childhood traumatic events, with an emphasis on childhood sexual
abuse, on patient symptoms, quality of life and other biopsychosocial
parameters.

Methods: Subjects (female patients with IC/BPS and controls without
IC/BPS) completed psychosocial phenotyping questionnaires,
including a demographics/history form, and validated questionnaires
focused on presenting symptoms (IC symptom indices, pain),
psychosocial parameters (depression, anxiety, pain catastrophizing,
sexual functioning, social support) and quality of life. Participants
also completed the Childhood Traumatic Events Scale.

Results: Questionnaires were completed by 207 IC/BPS patients
and 117 controls matched for age, partner status and education. It
was found that before 17 years of age, the IC/BPS cases reported
higher prevalence of “raped or molested” compared to controls
(24.0% vs. 14.7%; p = 0.047). Within the IC/BPS group, cases
reporting previous sexual abuse endorsed greater sensory pain,
depression and poorer physical quality of life at the present time
compared to IC cases without a sexual abuse history. In the controls
only, those reporting previous sexual abuse endorsed more depression,
anxiety, stress, social maladjustment poorer mental quality
of life in the present time. When the analysis was corrected for
potential multiple comparison error, none of the findings remained
significant in either the IC/BPS or control groups.

Interpretation: Childhood traumatic events, in particular sexual
abuse and extreme illness, are reported as more common in IC/
BPS patients than controls. Early trauma, such as the occurrence
of sexual abuse, is associated with some differences in patient
adjustment (e.g., pain, quality of life, depression) but this impact
appears to be, at most, very modest.

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Author Biographies

J. Curtis Nickel, Department of Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON

Dean A. Tripp, Departments of Psychology, Anesthesia & Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON

Michel Pontari, Department of Urology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Robert Moldwin, Hofstra University School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY

Robert Mayer, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Lesley K. Carr, Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

Ragi Doggweiler, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Claire C. Yang, Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Nagendra Mishra, Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Ahmedabad, India

Jorgen Nordling, University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark

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How to Cite

Nickel, J. C., Tripp, D. A., Pontari, M., Moldwin, R., Mayer, R., Carr, L. K., Doggweiler, R., Yang, C. C., Mishra, N., & Nordling, J. (2013). Childhood sexual trauma in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a case control study. Canadian Urological Association Journal, 5(6), 410–15. https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.732

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 6 (2011): December

Section

Original Research

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