IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i2p1651-d1037937.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Chronic Diseases: Identifying a Cut-Point for ACE Scores

Author

Listed:
  • Fahad M. Alhowaymel

    (Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra 11911, Saudi Arabia)

  • Karen A. Kalmakis

    (Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA)

  • Lisa M. Chiodo

    (Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA)

  • Nicole M. Kent

    (Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA)

  • Maha Almuneef

    (College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia
    King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) contribute to many negative physiological, psychological, and behavioral health consequences. However, a cut-point for adverse childhood experience (ACE) scores, as it pertains to health outcomes, has not been clearly identified. This ambiguity has led to the use of different cut-points to define high scores. The aim of this study is to clarify a cut-point at which ACEs are significantly associated with negative chronic health outcomes. To accomplish this aim, a secondary analysis using data from a cross-sectional study was conducted. The Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric regression, and logistic regression analyses were performed on a sample of 10,047 adults. Data from demographic and self-report health measures were included. The results showed that a cut-point of four or more ACEs was significantly associated with increased rates of chronic disease. Participants with at least one chronic disease were almost 3 times more likely (OR = 2.8) to be in the high ACE group. A standardized cut-point for ACE scores will assist in future research examining the impact of high ACEs across cultures to study the effect of childhood experiences on health.

Suggested Citation

  • Fahad M. Alhowaymel & Karen A. Kalmakis & Lisa M. Chiodo & Nicole M. Kent & Maha Almuneef, 2023. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Chronic Diseases: Identifying a Cut-Point for ACE Scores," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-9, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1651-:d:1037937
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1651/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1651/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xuening Chang & Xueyan Jiang & Tamara Mkandarwire & Min Shen, 2019. "Associations between adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes in adults aged 18–59 years," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Negriff, Sonya, 2020. "Expanding our understanding of intergenerational exposure to adversity," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tonje Holte Stea & Herolinda Shatri & Siri Håvås Haugland & Annette Løvheim Kleppang, 2022. "Association between Self-Reported Childhood Difficulties and Obesity and Health-Related Behaviors in Adulthood—A Cross-Sectional Study among 28,047 Adults from the General Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Janet Currie, 2020. "Child health as human capital," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(4), pages 452-463, April.
    3. Agar Brugiavini & Raluca Elena Buia & Matija Kovacic & Cristina Elisa Orso, 2020. "Adverse childhood experiences and risk behaviours later in life: Evidence from SHARE countries," Working Papers 2020:08, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    4. A. Brugiavini & R. E. Buia & M. Kovacic & C. E. Orso, 2023. "Adverse childhood experiences and unhealthy lifestyles later in life: evidence from SHARE countries," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Ingyu Moon & Junghee Han, 2022. "Moderating Effects of Physical Activity on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Related Quality of Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Perry, Elizabeth W. & Culbreth, Rachel & Swahn, Monica & Kasirye, Rogers & Self-Brown, Shannon, 2020. "Psychological distress among orphaned youth and youth reporting sexual exploitation in Kampala, Uganda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Verbist, A. Nathan & Winters, Andrew M. & Collins-Camargo, Crystal & Antle, Becky F., 2020. "Standardized assessment domains as predictors of prescription of trauma-focused treatment for youth in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    8. Amanda Sonnega & Brooke Helppie-McFall, 2021. "The Relationship Between Adverse Experiences Over the Life Course and Early Retirement Due to Disability," Working Papers wp435, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    9. Chun Chen & Yu Sun & Boyuan Liu & Xiao Zhang & Yingquan Song, 2022. "The Latent Class Analysis of Adverse Childhood Experiences among Chinese Children and Early Adolescents in Rural Areas and Their Association with Depression and Suicidal Ideation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, November.
    10. Yufeng Zhao & Dianxi Wang & Feilun Du, 2022. "The Moderating Effect of Contact with Children on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depression in Adulthood among a Chinese Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Kaori Baba & Yaeko Kataoka, 2023. "An E-Learning Program for Continuing Midwifery Education on Handling High-Risk Abuse Cases: A Pretest–Posttest Design," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-12, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1651-:d:1037937. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.