Measuring the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences by Survey Research Methods

Anikó Ujhelyi Nagy, Ildikó Kuritár Szabó, Endre Hann and Karolina Kósa
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Anikó Ujhelyi Nagy: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22., H-4032 Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
Ildikó Kuritár Szabó: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22., H-4032 Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
Endre Hann: Median Opinion & Market Research Ltd., Fürj utca 2., H-1124 Budapest, Hungary
Karolina Kósa: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22., H-4032 Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Background : Child maltreatment has been firmly established as a fundamental risk factor for adult health. However, its quantification poses many questions methodologically, psychologically, and culturally alike. We carried out the first nationally representative survey research in Hungary and in Central–Eastern Europe to assess the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among adults. Methods : Data were collected by an opinion research company using a screening tool of the Adverse Childhood Experiences study. Results : 25% (n = 293) of adults reported any childhood adversity; 5% (n = 59) of them had four or more ACEs. The most prevalent forms of child maltreatment were emotional (5%, n = 59) and physical abuse (5%, n = 59), sexual abuse (1%, n = 12) being the least prevalent. The most frequent dysfunctional household condition was parental divorce or separation (13%, n = 153), followed by household substance abuse (11%, n = 129). Conclusions : Nationally representative surveys on ACEs found a range of overall prevalence of various forms of child maltreatment between 14.1 and 35.2% into which our results fall. Nevertheless, our survey most likely underestimates the prevalence of child maltreatment in Hungary, reflecting the impact of a host of factors influencing awareness. Survey research methods are appropriate to obtain nationally representative data on child maltreatment that not only contribute to designing interventions but can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of interventions to improve child and adult health in the long run.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); Hungarian representative adult sample; opinion poll; ACE Score Calculator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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