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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Adults who experienced childhood abuse are consistently less likely to follow cancer screening guidelines — and socioeconomic status doesn't seem to help. A new study found abuse survivors had notably lower screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. Researchers say trauma-informed care and removal of structural barriers are key to closing the gap.
Adults who survived childhood abuse are significantly less likely to keep up with recommended cancer screenings — and that gap persists even when accounting for income, education, and healthcare access. A study published in PLOS Global Public Health analyzed data from over 123,000 U.S. adults surveyed in the CDC's 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, finding that 43.7% reported some form of childhood abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional).
Abuse survivors were younger, more likely to be uninsured, reported worse health, and faced more cost-related barriers to care. Notably, factors typically associated with better health outcomes — like employment, education, and marriage — did not offset the effects of childhood adversity.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Cancer screening saves lives, but childhood trauma creates lasting barriers that go beyond access and affordability. Clinicians and health systems need trauma-informed approaches alongside structural reforms to reach this underserved population.
