Development and Validation of the Weighted Index for Childhood Adverse Conditions (WICAC)

Sofie A. Jacobsen (), Bo M. Bibby, Lisbeth Frostholm, Marie W. Petersen, Eva Ørnbøl, Signe U. Schovsbo, Thomas M. Dantoft and Tina B. W. Carstensen
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Sofie A. Jacobsen: Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensen Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
Bo M. Bibby: Department of Public Health, Biostatistics, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Lisbeth Frostholm: Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensen Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
Marie W. Petersen: Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensen Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
Eva Ørnbøl: Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensen Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
Signe U. Schovsbo: Center for Clinical Research and Disease Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
Thomas M. Dantoft: Center for Clinical Research and Disease Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
Tina B. W. Carstensen: Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensen Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-21

Abstract: Background: Adverse experiences in childhood are a major public health concern, promoting social inequality in health through biopsychosocial mechanisms. So far, no known measures comprehend the complexity and variations of severity of adverse events. This study aims to develop and validate a new index: the Weighted Index for Childhood Adverse Conditions (WICAC). Methods: The population consists of 7493 randomly invited men and women aged 18–72 years. Data were collected in 2012–2015 as part of the Danish Study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD). Content and construct validation of the WICAC was performed with the hypothesis testing of multiple biopsychosocial outcomes: cardiovascular disease, cancer, poor health, back pain, BMI, obesity, anxiety, depression, low vitality, subjective social status, lower education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Data were analysed with binominal and linear regression models with risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD). Results: Content validation is fitting for WICAC. The strongest associations observed were for most severe adversity: Poor Health RR = 2.16 (1.19–2.91), Anxiety RR = 3.32 (2.32–4.74), Heavy Drinking RR = 4.09 (1.85–9.04), and Subjective Social Status MD = −0.481 (−0.721–(−0.241)). Similar results were found for the remaining outcomes. Discriminative validation was undecided. Conclusions: WICAC is an adequate instrument for measuring cumulative adverse life events in childhood and adolescence for research purposes.

Keywords: index measurement; validation; development of weighted index; hypothesis testing; adverse childhood experiences; social vulnerability (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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