Health-related Outcomes of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Texas, 2002

Overview

Journal Prev Chronic Dis

Specialty Public Health

Date 2010 Apr 17

PMID 20394691

Citations 35

Authors

Shanta R Dube

Michelle L Cook

Valerie J Edwards

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: We assessed the prevalence of 7 childhood adversities (psychological, physical, and sexual abuse; household mental illness; household substance abuse; maternal battery; and incarceration of a household member) and the associations of those adversities with health outcomes.

Methods: Using data from 5,378 people who responded to the 2002 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (which included questions about childhood adversity), we created 4 groups: no childhood abuse or household dysfunction, childhood abuse only, household dysfunction only, and both childhood abuse and household dysfunction. We examined groups by sociodemographic variables and the association with current smoking, obesity, and self-rated health.

Results: Among adult respondents, 46% reported at least 1 childhood adversity. Reports of both household dysfunction and abuse were significantly lower for college graduates than for people with less education. For those with both abuse and household dysfunction, the odds of current smoking were 1.9 and for obesity were 1.3. Compared to people without childhood adversities, people who experienced childhood adversities more frequently reported having fair or poor general health status.

Conclusion: Childhood adversities are common among Texas adults. People with childhood adversities are more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged, less educated, and have difficulties maintaining employment in adulthood compared to people with no adversities. Moreover, childhood adversities appear to be associated with health problems such as current smoking, obesity, and poor or fair general health among Texas adults.

Citing Articles

Patterns of adaptation to stress cardiovascular responses in smokers during ad libitum smoking and withdrawal.

Keogh T, Howard S, Nakajima M, alAbsi M Psychophysiology. 2024; 62(1):e14719.

PMID: 39501438 PMC: 11775881. DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14719.

Autism Severity, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Oral Health: A Comparative Study of Adolescents in the United States.

Helton J, Koetting C, Kronk R, Kong V, Kim Y J Autism Dev Disord. 2024; .

PMID: 39115745 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06488-y.

Seya M, Matthews S, Zhu L, Brown C, Lefevre A, Agathis N Child Abuse Negl. 2023; 150:106493.

PMID: 37839988 PMC: 11264190. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106493.

Child Maltreatment, Mental Health, and Self-Reported Health Among Adolescent Girls in Child Welfare: Mediating Pathways.

Schiff M, Auslander W, Gerke D J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2023; 16(3):759-771.

PMID: 37593056 PMC: 10427600. DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00545-x.

Health Care Burden and Expenditure Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Tennessee and Virginia.

Okwori G, Stewart S, Quinn M, Lawson D J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2022; 15(3):727-739.

PMID: 35958731 PMC: 9360380. DOI: 10.1007/s40653-021-00390-w.

References

Moeller T, Bachmann G, Moeller J . The combined effects of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse during childhood: long-term health consequences for women. Child Abuse Negl. 1993; 17(5):623-40. DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(93)90084-i. View

Anda R, Croft J, Felitti V, Nordenberg D, Giles W, Williamson D . Adverse childhood experiences and smoking during adolescence and adulthood. JAMA. 1999; 282(17):1652-8. DOI: 10.1001/jama.282.17.1652. View

Kendall-Tackett K, Becker-Blease K . The importance of retrospective findings in child maltreatment research. Child Abuse Negl. 2004; 28(7):723-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.02.002. View

Dube S, Williamson D, Thompson T, Felitti V, Anda R . Assessing the reliability of retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences among adult HMO members attending a primary care clinic. Child Abuse Negl. 2004; 28(7):729-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.08.009. View

Edwards V, Holden G, Felitti V, Anda R . Relationship between multiple forms of childhood maltreatment and adult mental health in community respondents: results from the adverse childhood experiences study. Am J Psychiatry. 2003; 160(8):1453-60. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.8.1453. View

De Bellis M, Keshavan M, Clark D, Casey B, Giedd J, Boring A . A.E. Bennett Research Award. Developmental traumatology. Part II: Brain development. Biol Psychiatry. 1999; 45(10):1271-84. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00045-1. View

Perry B, Pollard R . Homeostasis, stress, trauma, and adaptation. A neurodevelopmental view of childhood trauma. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1999; 7(1):33-51, viii. View

Dube S, Fairweather D, Pearson W, Felitti V, Anda R, Croft J . Cumulative childhood stress and autoimmune diseases in adults. Psychosom Med. 2009; 71(2):243-50. PMC: 3318917. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181907888. View

Williamson D, Thompson T, Anda R, Dietz W, Felitti V . Body weight and obesity in adults and self-reported abuse in childhood. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002; 26(8):1075-82. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802038. View

10.

Finkelhor D . Current information on the scope and nature of child sexual abuse. Future Child. 1994; 4(2):31-53. View

11.

Teicher M, Ito Y, Glod C, Andersen S, Dumont N, ACKERMAN E . Preliminary evidence for abnormal cortical development in physically and sexually abused children using EEG coherence and MRI. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997; 821:160-75. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48277.x. View

12.

Felitti V, Anda R, Nordenberg D, Williamson D, Spitz A, Edwards V . Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998; 14(4):245-58. DOI: 10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8. View

13.

Felitti V . Childhood sexual abuse, depression, and family dysfunction in adult obese patients: a case control study. South Med J. 1993; 86(7):732-6. DOI: 10.1097/00007611-199307000-00002. View

14.

Della Femina D, Yeager C, LEWIS D . Child abuse: adolescent records vs. adult recall. Child Abuse Negl. 1990; 14(2):227-31. DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(90)90033-p. View

15.

Anda R, Felitti V, Douglas Bremner J, Walker J, Whitfield C, Perry B . The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood. A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2005; 256(3):174-86. PMC: 3232061. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-005-0624-4. View

16.

Dube S, Anda R, Felitti V, Edwards V, Williamson D . Exposure to abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction among adults who witnessed intimate partner violence as children: implications for health and social services. Violence Vict. 2002; 17(1):3-17. DOI: 10.1891/vivi.17.1.3.33635. View

17.

Dube S, Miller J, Brown D, Giles W, Felitti V, Dong M . Adverse childhood experiences and the association with ever using alcohol and initiating alcohol use during adolescence. J Adolesc Health. 2006; 38(4):444.e1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.06.006. View

18.

Chapman D, Whitfield C, Felitti V, Dube S, Edwards V, Anda R . Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of depressive disorders in adulthood. J Affect Disord. 2004; 82(2):217-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2003.12.013. View

19.

Swahn M, Whitaker D, Pippen C, Leeb R, Teplin L, Abram K . Concordance between self-reported maltreatment and court records of abuse or neglect among high-risk youths. Am J Public Health. 2006; 96(10):1849-53. PMC: 1586157. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.058230. View

20.

Dube S, Anda R, Felitti V, Croft J, Edwards V, Giles W . Growing up with parental alcohol abuse: exposure to childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Child Abuse Negl. 2002; 25(12):1627-40. DOI: 10.1016/s0145-2134(01)00293-9. View