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OBJECTIVES: To determine whether childhood physical and sexual abuse are associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes in older age.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional, postal questionnaire survey.

SETTING: Medical clinics of 383 general practitioners (GPs) in Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: More than 21,000 older adults (aged ≥60) currently under the care of GPs participating in the Depression and Early Prevention of Suicide in General Practice (DEPS‐GP) Study. Participants were divided into two groups according to whether they acknowledged experiencing childhood physical or sexual abuse.

MEASUREMENTS: Main outcome measures targeted participants' current physical health (Medical Outcomes Study 12‐item Short Form Survey, Version 2 and Common Medical Morbidities Inventory) and mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale).

RESULTS …