Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress

Background Transgender women experience a high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. The well-documented risk factors contributing to IPV include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), low self-esteem, and the minority stress experienced by LGBT individuals. The object of the pre...

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Main Authors: Lulu Xu, Huifang Xu, Zuxin Wang, Jiani Hu, Yawen Zheng, Fengyi Wang, Ruijie Chang, Ying Wang, Yong Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Annals of Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2464936
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author Lulu Xu
Huifang Xu
Zuxin Wang
Jiani Hu
Yawen Zheng
Fengyi Wang
Ruijie Chang
Ying Wang
Yong Cai
author_facet Lulu Xu
Huifang Xu
Zuxin Wang
Jiani Hu
Yawen Zheng
Fengyi Wang
Ruijie Chang
Ying Wang
Yong Cai
author_sort Lulu Xu
collection DOAJ
description Background Transgender women experience a high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. The well-documented risk factors contributing to IPV include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), low self-esteem, and the minority stress experienced by LGBT individuals. The object of the present study was to examine how ACEs influence IPV in adulthood, and to explore the chain mediating function of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress.Methods In February 2022, we recruited 264 transgender women through snowball sampling in Shenyang, China. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing background characteristics, ACEs, IPV in adulthood, self‐esteem and LGBT minority stress. Relationships among study variables were examined through variance and correlation analyses. A chain mediation model was tested using PROCESS.Results There was a significant correlation among the four variables. ACEs positively predicted IPV in adulthood (r = 0.449, p < 0.001). The sequential mediation model demonstrated that self-esteem (the estimated effect = 0.0708, 95%CI: 0.0152–0.1327) and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0404, 95%CI: 0016–0.0847) had the potential to mediate the connection between ACEs and IPV respectively. Additionally, the combined mediating influence of self-esteem and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0298, 95%CI: 0.0105–0.0591) similarly exerted such an effect. In summary, the mediating effect accounts for 34.59% of the overall effect size.Conclusion Taken together, the findings underscore the high prevalence of IPV among Chinese transgender women, highlighting the need for additional attention from violence service providers and other healthcare professionals on ACEs, low self-esteem, and minority stress, as these factors may place this population at risk for IPV.
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spelling doaj-art-c871f19e35b94a4aa2c51b7383b7b6d02025-08-20T03:21:39ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Medicine0785-38901365-20602025-12-0157110.1080/07853890.2025.2464936Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stressLulu Xu0Huifang Xu1Zuxin Wang2Jiani Hu3Yawen Zheng4Fengyi Wang5Ruijie Chang6Ying Wang7Yong Cai8School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaPublic Health Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaPublic Health Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaPublic Health Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaPublic Health Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaBackground Transgender women experience a high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. The well-documented risk factors contributing to IPV include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), low self-esteem, and the minority stress experienced by LGBT individuals. The object of the present study was to examine how ACEs influence IPV in adulthood, and to explore the chain mediating function of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress.Methods In February 2022, we recruited 264 transgender women through snowball sampling in Shenyang, China. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing background characteristics, ACEs, IPV in adulthood, self‐esteem and LGBT minority stress. Relationships among study variables were examined through variance and correlation analyses. A chain mediation model was tested using PROCESS.Results There was a significant correlation among the four variables. ACEs positively predicted IPV in adulthood (r = 0.449, p < 0.001). The sequential mediation model demonstrated that self-esteem (the estimated effect = 0.0708, 95%CI: 0.0152–0.1327) and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0404, 95%CI: 0016–0.0847) had the potential to mediate the connection between ACEs and IPV respectively. Additionally, the combined mediating influence of self-esteem and minority stress (the estimated effect = 0.0298, 95%CI: 0.0105–0.0591) similarly exerted such an effect. In summary, the mediating effect accounts for 34.59% of the overall effect size.Conclusion Taken together, the findings underscore the high prevalence of IPV among Chinese transgender women, highlighting the need for additional attention from violence service providers and other healthcare professionals on ACEs, low self-esteem, and minority stress, as these factors may place this population at risk for IPV.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2464936Adverse childhood experiencesintimate partner violence in adulthoodself-esteemminority stresschain mediator
spellingShingle Lulu Xu
Huifang Xu
Zuxin Wang
Jiani Hu
Yawen Zheng
Fengyi Wang
Ruijie Chang
Ying Wang
Yong Cai
Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
Annals of Medicine
Adverse childhood experiences
intimate partner violence in adulthood
self-esteem
minority stress
chain mediator
title Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
title_full Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
title_fullStr Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
title_full_unstemmed Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
title_short Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women: exploring the chain mediating role of self-esteem and LGBT minority stress
title_sort adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adulthood among transgender women exploring the chain mediating role of self esteem and lgbt minority stress
topic Adverse childhood experiences
intimate partner violence in adulthood
self-esteem
minority stress
chain mediator
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2464936
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