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

Autores da FMUP

• Ana Cristina Correia Dos Santos

  Autor

• Sílvia Jesus Silva Fraga

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Soares, S
• Abrahamyan, A
• Amorim, M

Unidades de investigação

• Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses, e Educação Médica

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 childs 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; Child; Child Abuse; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Portugal; Prevalence; Porto [Portugal]; Portugal; child health; cohort analysis; principal component analysis; risk factor; violence; Article; child; child behavior; child health; childhood adversity; cohort analysis; correlational study; demography; educational status; female; groups by age; human; male; personal income; Portugal; Portuguese (citizen); prevalence; questionnaire; scoring system; social status; socioeconomics; unemployment; violence; child abuse; epidemiology