Associations among childhood abuse experience and Interleukin-6 in middle school students

Abstract

Objective The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood abuse and examined its correlation with inflammatory factor IL-6 level in middle schools students.

Methods A total of 911 junior and high school students from a middle school in Shenyang were enrolled in this study to investigate the experience of childhood abuse and its association with IL -6 level in fasting blood samples in December 2017.

Results The prevalence of childhood maltreatment was 21.0%, the prevalence of physical, emotional and sexual abuse was 21.8%, 20.3% and 9.5%, respectively. Physical abuse, emotional abuse and total abuse were associated with high levels of IL-6 in junior high school boys, χ ² values were 3.88, 6.78, and 9.10, respectively ( P <0.05). There was no significant correlation between abuse experiences with IL-6 levels among junior high school girls and senior high school students. Regression analysis showed that physical abuse, emotional abuse and total abuse were positively associated with IL-6 concentration among junior high school boys ( OR = 2.23, 3.49, 1.58, P<0.05).

Conclusion Physical and emotional abuse in childhood associates with the increase of IL-6 level among junior school boys. Abnormal inflammatory factor level might be potential mechanism linking childhood abuse with adverse health outcomes.

Abstract

【摘要】目的了解中学生童年期虐待的流行特征及其与促炎因子白细胞介素（IL-6)水平的关联，为深人认识童年 期虐待的不良健康效应提供循证依据。 方法采用整群抽样方法，于2017年12月选取沈阳市某中学911名在校生为研 究对象，现场问卷调査其童年期虐待经历，收集晨起空腹血样检测IL-6水平。 结果童年期虐待总体检出率为21.0%，身区 体、情感和性虐待检出率分别为21.8%，20.3%，9.5%。初中男生躯体虐待、情感虐待和总虐待与髙水平的IL-6相关 ( χ ²值 分别为3.88，6.78，9.10，P值均<0.05)，初中女生和髙中生虐待经历与IL-6的水平相关无统计学意义。多因素Logistic回 归模型结果显示，躯体虐待、情感虐待和总虐待经历与初中男生IL-6升髙均呈正性相关（ OR值分别为2.23，3.49，1.58，P 值均<0.05)。 结论童年期躯体虐待和情感虐待是初中男生IL-6水平升髙的重要影响因素，炎症因子水平异常可能是初 中男生童年期虐待不良健康效应的潜在基础。