Multiple psychosomatic symptoms can indicate child physical abuse - results from a study of Swedish schoolchildren

To examine whether children with self-reported experiences of either physical abuse alone or combined with intimate partner violence report more psychosomatic symptoms than other children and to explore whether these possible associations are enhanced by school-related factors, chronic condition and demographic factors.

A national cross-sectional study of 2771 pupils in grades 4, 6 and 9 from 44 schools in Sweden was carried out in 2006 (91% response rate). Data were analysed with univariate tests (chi-square), multiple logistic regression analyses and stratified logistic regression analyses, expressed as crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals.

There was a strong association between reported physical abuse and multiple (three or more) psychosomatic symptoms among schoolchildren (AOR 2.12). Chronic condition was the only determinant that had an obvious enhancing effect on the association between physical abuse and psychosomatic symptoms in childhood.

This study shows that multiple psychosomatic symptoms are associated with child physical abuse. Health professionals therefore need to pay special attention to schoolchildren who complain about the co-occurrence of psychosomatic symptoms and pattern of symptoms, which could not be easily explained by other causes.