Echoes of Trauma: The Relationship Between Poly-Victimization in Childhood and Health Outcomes

This study addressed the issue of poly-victimization during childhood and its impact on health outcomes. Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model and Lenz et al.’s theory of unpleasant symptoms were selected as the theoretical framework to explore this complex problem. The study’s global aim was to examine the relationship between poly-victimization in childhood and health outcomes, specifically sleep disturbance. The major research question is as follows: “What is the relationship between poly-victimization in childhood and health outcomes?” Primarily, the null hypotheses state, “There is no relationship between poly-victimization in childhood and health outcomes.” The study employed a secondary data analysis design, utilizing quantitative methodologies (such as ordinal logistic and multiple regression) to investigate the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence Sets I, II, and III (2007–2014). The justification for this design is that secondary data analysis allowed leveraging existing datasets, potentially saving time, effort, and resources that would otherwise have been dedicated to primary data collection. This study demonstrated a significant positive association between poly-victimization and sleep disturbances—with participants who experienced multiple forms of victimization being 3.8 times more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances, leading to the rejection of the first null hypothesis. Contrary to expectations, psychological distress did not mediate this relationship but instead increased the strength of the association, resulting in the nonrejection of the second null hypothesis regarding mediation. The significance of this study lies in its potential to enhance understanding of the long-term ramifications of poly-victimization during childhood. This knowledge is crucial in developing effective interventions, counseling, and policies to improve health outcomes.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD in Nursing (Doctoral)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing

Grantor

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Fierro, Ryann Danielle 1988-

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• O'Keefe, Mary (meokeefe@utmb.edu)
• Nguyen, Hoang (hnguyen@utmb.edu)

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Alvarado,Irma (iralvara@utmb.edu)
• Tumilty, Emma (emtumilt@utmb.edu)
• Villasante-Tezanos, Alejandro (alvillas@utmb.edu)
• Wood, Leila (leila.g.wood@uth.tmc.edu)

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2152.3/12679

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utmb-ir.tdl.org:2152.3/12679