Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the First Decade of Life: A Study in the Portuguese Cohort, Generation XXI

Sara Soares, Armine Abrahamyan, Mariana Amorim, Ana Cristina Santos and Sílvia Fraga
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Sara Soares: EPI Unit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Armine Abrahamyan: EPI Unit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Mariana Amorim: EPI Unit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Ana Cristina Santos: EPI Unit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Sílvia Fraga: EPI Unit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a modifiable risk factor for diseases throughout life. This study estimates the prevalence of ACEs in children, addressing associated sociodemographic characteristics and examining the relationship of ACEs with the child’s health and behaviors. We used information on 5295 participants at 10 years old, of the birth cohort Generation XXI, established in Porto, Portugal. Children answered a self-administered questionnaire on ACEs, based on the original ACEs study. Principal component analysis was used to group correlated ACEs, and a score was computed to assess their cumulative effect. Overall, 96.2% of children reported having been exposed to at least one ACE. The most prevalent ACE was a household member shouting, yelling, or screaming at the child (57.7%). Boys were more likely than girls to report “abuse”, “school problems”, and “death/severe disease”. Low parental education, income, and unemployment were associated with an increased risk of “school problems”, “death/severe disease”, and “household dysfunction”. We observed that the dimensions of ACEs could be identified at 10 years of age. A disadvantaged socioeconomic environment was associated with dimensions of ACEs. These data illustrate the natural history of dimensions of ACEs and their potential social patterning.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; violence; childhood (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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