Trauma, socioeconomic resources, and self-rated health in an ethnically diverse adult cohort

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate ethnic group differences in the association between trauma exposure and health status among an ethnically diverse sample originating in Hawai'i. DESIGN: Across a 10-year period (1998-2008), participants (N=833) completed five waves of questionnaire assessments. Trauma exposure was measured retrospectively at the most recent assessment (wave 5), socioeconomic resources (educational attainment and employment status) were measured at wave 1, and self-rated health was measured at each of the five waves. RESULTS: Results indicated that greater exposure to trauma was associated with poorer self-rated health, as were lower educational attainment and lower work status. In addition, there was ethnic group variation in health ratings, as well as in how strongly trauma exposure predicted health status. Specifically, within Filipino American and Native Hawaiian ethnic groups, there was a stronger negative association between trauma exposure and self-rated health. CONCLUSION: These results suggest complex interrelations among trauma, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and physical health. Further understanding these relations may have implications for medical and behavioral interventions in vulnerable populations.

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