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The relationship of health risk behavior and disease in adulthood to the breadth of exposure to childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, and household dysfunction during childhood has not previously been described.A questionnaire about adverse childhood experiences was mailed to 13,494 adults who had completed a standardized medical evaluation at a large HMO; 9,508 (70.5%) responded. Seven categories of adverse childhood experiences were studied: psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; violence against mother; or living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or ever imprisoned. The number of categories of these adverse childhood experiences was then compared to measures of adult risk behavior, health status, and disease. Logistic regression was used to adjust for effects of demographic factors on the association between the cumulative number of categories of childhood exposures (range: 0-7) and risk factors for the leading causes of death in adult life.More than half of respondents reported at least one, and one-fourth reported ≥2 categories of childhood exposures. We found a graded relationship between the number of categories of childhood exposure and each of the adult health risk behaviors and diseases that were studied (P.001). Persons who had experienced four or more categories of childhood exposure, compared to those who had experienced none, had 4- to 12-fold increased health risks for alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, and suicide attempt; a 2- to 4-fold increase in smoking, poor self-rated health, ≥50 sexual intercourse partners, and sexually transmitted disease; and a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in physical inactivity and severe obesity. The number of categories of adverse childhood exposures showed a graded relationship to the presence of adult diseases including ischemic heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, skeletal fractures, and liver disease. The seven categories of adverse childhood experiences were strongly interrelated and persons with multiple categories of childhood exposure were likely to have multiple health risk factors later in life.We found a strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults.

Editors’ Note: We invited a sample of AJPM’s Editorial Board, supplement guest editors, and longtime colleagues and contributors to share their experiences and impressions of the impact of AJPM on their respective domains. We were particularly fond of Ken Powell’s analogy to being “tenders of the planted seed”—as planters, weeders, and harvesters—watching and nurturing the growth of AJPM, and have elected to lead with his commentary. In the mid-1940s my brothers and I helped our father tend our victory garden. We were suburbanites and our small garden shared a vacant lot with the concrete foundation of a home abandoned in mid-construction during the Depression. We helped plant, weed, and harvest the crops. I especially liked the tall stalks of sweet corn that grew taller than I was. Many years later, in the mid-1990s, I met a couple of other gardeners: Kevin Patrick and Doug Scutchfield visited the Centers for Disease Control (now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to discuss their plans as the editors of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. I was working in a Branch that was trying to understand the public health importance of regular physical activity, and they had the foresight to know we were planting some seeds in an important new area. I’m not sure that I had even heard of AJPM before their visit. A few years later, while the field of physical activity and public health continued to grow, I shifted my focus to violence and injury prevention. Once again, the team of Patrick and Scutchfield recognized the importance of this topic to the field of preventive medicine. By the turn of the century my work had shifted from the national to the state level. I tried to keep up with the literature by reading or scanning articles as I rode the subway to and from work. The Georgia Division of Public Health had no access to a library so I circulated my personal copy of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine to my team in the Chronic Disease and Injury Epidemiology Section because it contained by far the most articles of interest and practical application for us. Isn’t it interesting to watch things grow. Gardens, journals, and the fields of public health and preventive medicine.

Medical research on "adverse childhood experiences" (ACEs) reveals a compelling relationship between the extent of childhood adversity, adult health risk behaviors, and principal causes of death in the United States. This article provides a selective review of the ACE Study and related social science research to describe how effective social work practice that prevents ACEs and mobilizes resilience and recovery from childhood adversity could support the achievement of national health policy goals. This article applies a biopsychosocial perspective, with an emphasis on mind-body coping processes to demonstrate that social work responses to adverse childhood experiences may contribute to improvement in overall health. Consistent with this framework, the article sets forth prevention and intervention response strategies with individuals, families, communities, and the larger society. Economic research on human capital development is reviewed that suggests significant cost savings may result from effective implementation of these strategies.

This introduction to the themed issue overviews the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study and discusses prevention and intervention with ACE and their consequences in communities. A commentary by Dr. Robert Anda, an ACE Study Co-Principal Investigator, is incorporated within this introduction. Implications of articles within the issue are addressed, and next steps are explored.

Betrayal trauma theory (Freyd, 1996) postulates childhood abuse perpetrated by a caregiver or someone close to the victim results in worse mental health than abuse perpetrated by a noncaregiver. Using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) data, we tested whether adults with high betrayal (HB) abuse would report poorer functional and mental health than low betrayal (LB) abuse victims. Among those participants reporting childhood sexual abuse, 32% experienced HB abuse. HB victims had a higher average ACE score than LB victims (2.72 vs. 1.87, p < .001), had significantly lower functional health scores on 4 of the 7 SF–36 Health Survey scales (all p < .04), and reported higher depression, anxiety, suicidality, panic, and anger (all p < .05).

Sleep disturbances are associated with an increased risk for many chronic diseases and unhealthy behaviors. A history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is also associated with similar adult health outcomes. We studied the relationship between multiple ACEs and the likelihood of experiencing self-reported sleep disturbances in adulthood.We used data from the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study, a retrospective cohort study of 17,337 adult health maintenance organization members in California who completed a survey about eight ACEs, which included childhood abuse and growing up with various forms of household dysfunction. The self-reported sleep disturbances measured included ever having trouble falling or staying asleep and feeling tired after a good night's sleep. We used an integer count of the number of ACEs (the ACE score) to assess the cumulative impact of these experiences on the likelihood of self-reported sleep disturbances.Thirty-three percent of the cohort reported trouble falling or staying asleep, while 24% reported feeling tired after sleeping. All eight ACE categories were associated with an increased likelihood of self-reported sleep disturbances (p0.05). Compared to persons with an ACE score of 0, those with an ACE score ≥ 5 were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.8-2.4) times more likely to report trouble falling or staying asleep and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.7-2.3) times more likely to report feeling tired even after a good night's sleep. The trend for increasing odds for both types of self-reported sleep disturbance with increasing ACE scores was statistically significant (p0.0001).Adverse childhood experiences were associated with self-reported sleep disturbances in adulthood, and the ACE score had a graded relationship to these sleep disturbances. A history of ACEs should be obtained for patients with self-reported sleep disturbances to coordinate services that ameliorate the long-term effects of these events.

Background: Few reports have addressed associations between family strengths during childhood and adolescent pregnancy and its consequences. We examined relationships among a number of childhood family strengths and adolescent pregnancy, risk behavior, and psychosocial consequences after adolescent pregnancy. Methods: Our retrospective cohort of 4648 women older than 18 years (mean age, 56 years) received primary care in San Diego, CA. Outcomes included adolescent pregnancy and psychosocial consequences compared with number of the following childhood family strengths: family closeness, support, loyalty, protection, love, importance, and responsiveness to health needs. Results: Of the cohort, 3082 participants (66%) reported 6 or 7 categories of childhood family strengths. Teen pregnancy occurred in 39%, 33%, 30%, 25%, 24%, 21%, and 19% of those with 0 or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 childhood family strengths, respectively (p for trend < 0.00001). When childhood abuse and household dysfunction were present, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for adolescent pregnancy demonstrated an increasingly protective effect as numbers of childhood family strengths increased from 0 or 1 to 2 or 3, 4 or 5, and 6 or 7 (1.0 to 0.80), (1.0 to 0.80, 0.60, and 0.54, respectively). These findings were partly explained by progressive delays in initiation of sexual activity as the number of childhood family strengths increased. Adjusted ORs for psychosocial problem occurring decades later decreased as the number of childhood family strengths increased from 0 or 1 to 2 or 3, 4 or 5, and 6 or 7 (job problems, 1.0, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4; family problems, 1.0, 1.1, 0.7, 0.6; financial problems, 1.0, 0.9, 0.9, 0.6; high stress, 1.0, 1.1, 0.9, 0.8; uncontrollable anger, 1.0, 0.7, 0.7, 0.4). Conclusions: Childhood family strengths are strongly protective against adolescent pregnancy, early initiation of sexual activity, and long-term psychosocial consequences.

Background.- A variety of studies have linked childhood maltreatment to headaches, including migraines, and to headache severity. This study assesses the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to frequent headaches during adulthood. Methods.- We used data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, which included 17,337 adult members of the Kaiser Health Plan in San Diego, CA who were undergoing a comprehensive preventive medical evaluation. The study assessed 8 ACEs including abuse (emotional, physical, sexual), witnessing domestic violence, growing up with mentally ill, substance abusing, or criminal household members, and parental separation or divorce. Our measure of headaches came from the medical review of systems using the question: "Are you troubled by frequent headaches?" We used the number of ACEs (ACE score) as a measure of cumulative childhood stress and hypothesized a "dose-response" relationship of the ACE score to the prevalence and risk of frequent headaches. Results.- Each of the ACEs was associated with an increased prevalence and risk of frequent headaches. As the ACE score increased the prevalence and risk of frequent headaches increased in a "dose-response" fashion. The risk of frequent headaches increased more than 2-fold (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.8-2.4) in persons with an ACE score ≥5, compared to persons with and ACE score of 0. The dose-response relationship of the ACE score to frequent headaches was seen for both men and women. Conclusions.- The number of ACEs showed a graded relationship to frequent headaches in adults. Future studies should examine general populations with headache, and carefully classify them. A better understanding of the link between ACEs and migraine may lead to new knowledge regarding pathophysiology and enhanced additional therapies for headache patients. Language: en

n May 2009, the WHO and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC, Atlanta GA) met in Geneva, Switzerland, to egin a collaborative effort to build a framework for pubic health surveillance that can be used to define the global ealth burden of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). n addition toWHO andCDC staff, meeting participants ncluded people working in the fields of public health and arly child development from Canada, China, the former ugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Philippines, Saudi Araia, SouthAfrica, Switzerland, andThailand. Participants rticulated their goal of forming a network aimed at adancing global understanding andmeasurement of ACEs hrough the exchange of information and the provision of echnical expertise and support. Viewing childmaltreatment and related experiences as set of exposures that have broad implications for human evelopment and prevention of public health problems is relatively new concept. Only since 2004 has child sexual buse been included in the global burden of disease estiates of death and disability attributable to particular voidable risk factors, and medical journals have reently begun to acknowledge the concept of abuse and elated it as a major public health issue by raising awareess of the body of literature that supports this concept.

Background: Strong, graded relationships between exposure to childhood traumatic stressors and numerous negative health behaviors and outcomes, healthcare utilization, and overall health status inspired the question of whether these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with premature death during adulthood. Purpose: This study aims to determine whether ACEs are associated with an increased risk of premature death during adulthood. Methods: Baseline survey data on health behaviors, health status, and exposure to ACEs were collected from 1.7,337 adults aged >18 years during 1995-1997. The ACEs included abuse (emotional, physical, sexual); witnessing domestic violence; parental separation or divorce; and growing up in a household where members were men tally ill, substance abusers, or sent to prison. The ACE score (air integer count of the eight categories of ACEs) was used as a measure of cumulative exposure to traumatic stress during childhood. Deaths were identified during follow-up assessments (between baseline appointment date and December 31, 2006) using mortality records obtained from a search of the National Death Index. Expected years of life lost (YLL) and yews of potential life lost (YPLL) were computed using standard methods. The relative fisk of death from all causes at age

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. However, little is known about the influence of childhood stressors on its occurrence. METHODS: Data were from 15,472 adult HMO members enrolled in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study from 1995 to 1997 and eligible for the prospective phase. Eight ACEs were assessed: abuse (emotional, physical, sexual); witnessing domestic violence; growing up with substance-abusing, mentally ill, or criminal household members; and parental separation or divorce. The number of ACEs (ACE Score) was used to examine the relationship of childhood stressors to the risk of COPD. Three methods of case ascertainment were used to define COPD: baseline reports of prevalent COPD, incident hospitalizations with COPD as a discharge diagnosis, and rates of prescription medications to treat COPD during follow-up. Follow-up data were available through 2004. RESULTS: The ACE Score had a graded relationship to each of three measures of the occurrence of COPD. Compared to people with an ACE Score of 0, those with an ACE Score of ≥5 had 2.6 times the risk of prevalent COPD, 2.0 times the risk of incident hospitalizations, and 1.6 times the rates of prescriptions (p

Objectives: Little is known about why people continue to smoke after learning that they have diseases and conditions that contraindicate smoking. Using data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, we examined the relation between ACEs and smoking behavior when smoking-related illnesses or conditions are present, both with and without depression as a mediator. Methods: Participants were more than 17,000 adult HMO members who retrospectively reported on eight categories of ACEs (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; witnessing interparental violence; parental divorce; and growing up with a substance-abusing, mentally ill, or incarcerated household member). The number of maltreatment categories was summed to form an ordinal variable called the ACE Score. We measured current smoking, conditions that contraindicate smoking (heart disease, chronic lung disease, and diabetes), and symptoms of these illnesses (chronic bronchitis, chronic cough, and shortness of breath). Logistic regression models compared the ACE Score of smokers with smokingrelated illnesses to participants who reported these illnesses but were not current smokers (n = 7483). Results: Significant dose—response relations between the ACE Score and smoking persistence were found (odds ratio = 1.69; confidence interval = 1.34‐2.13 for participants with ≥4 ACEs). Depression was a significant independent predictor of smoking persistence as well as a mediator. Depression only slightly attenuated the relation between the ACE Score and persistent smoking, however. Conclusion: Medical practitioners should consider the maltreatment history and depression status of their patients when a smoking-related diagnosis fails to elicit smoking cessation. Programs should be developed that better address the underlying motivations for continuing to smoke in the face of health problems that contraindicate smoking.

Objective: Little information is available about the contribution of multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to the likelihood of reporting hallucinations. We used data from the ACE study to assess this relationship. Methods: We conducted a survey about childhood abuse and household dysfunction while growing up, with questions about health behaviors and outcomes in adulthood, which was completed by 17,337 adult HMO members in order to assess the independent relationship of 8 adverse childhood experiences and the total number of ACEs (ACE score) to experiencing hallucinations. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship of the ACE score to self-reported hallucinations. Results: We found a statistically significant and graded relationship between histories of childhood trauma and histories of hallucinations that was independent of a history of substance abuse. Compared to persons with 0 ACEs, those with 7 or more ACEs had a five-fold increase in the risk of reporting hallucinations. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a history of childhood trauma should be looked for among persons with a history of hallucinations. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem. Although most studies on the long-term consequences of CSA have focused on women, sexual abuse of both boys and girls is common. Thus, a comparison of the long-term effects of CSA by gender of the victim will provide perspective on the need for future research, prevention activities, and treatment of survivors. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 1995 to 1997 among 17,337 adult HMO members in San Diego, California. Participants completed a survey about abuse or household dysfunction during childhood, and multiple other health-related issues. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between severity of CSA (intercourse vs no intercourse) and long-term health and social problems (substance use and abuse, mental illness, and current problems with marriage and family) by gender of victim. Models controlled for exposure to other forms of adverse childhood experiences that co-occur with CSA. Among men, the relationship between the gender of the CSA perpetrator to the outcomes was also examined. Results: Contact CSA was reported by 16% of males and 25% of females. Men reported female perpetration of CSA nearly 40% of the time, and women reported female perpetration of CSA 6% of the time. CSA significantly increased the risk of the outcomes. The magnitude of the increase was similar for men and women. For example, compared to reporting no sexual abuse, a history of suicide attempt was more than twice as likely among both men and women who experienced CSA (p 0.05). Compared with those who did not report CSA, men and women exposed to CSA were at a 40% increased risk of marrying an alcoholic, and a 40% to 50% increased risk of reporting current problems with their marriage (p 0.05). Conclusions: In this cohort of adult HMO members, experiencing CSA was common among both men and women. The long-term impact of CSA on multiple health and social problems was similar for both men and women. These findings strongly indicate that boys and girls are vulnerable to this form of childhood maltreatment; the similarity in the likelihood for multiple behavioral, mental, and social outcomes among men and women suggests the need to identify and treat all adults affected by CSA. (Am J Prev Med 2005;28(5):430‐438) © 2005 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Although smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer, nearly 10% of lung cancer is not attributable to smoking. Insights into risk factors for lung cancer other than smoking will become increasingly important, given decreasing trends in the prevalence of smoking. Prior research suggests asthma may increase the risk of lung cancer, particularly among nonsmokers.We used Cox regression analyses of data from a nationally representative sample of 9087 adults aged 30-75 years included in the NHANES II Mortality Study (1976-1992) to estimate the relative risk (RR) of death from lung cancer associated with self-reported asthma, independent of smoking.Age-adjusted prevalence of smoking was 36.0%, and the age-adjusted prevalence of asthma was 6.1% (6.2% among nonsmokers) at baseline. During approximately 17 years of follow-up, 196 adults died of lung cancer (ICD-9 160-165). Among 6144 nonsmokers, the RR of lung cancer death comparing adults with asthma to those without was 1.69 (95% CI: 0.94-3.04) although the association was not statistically significant. For nonsmokers without a history of cancer, the RR was 2.53 (95% CI: 1.42-4.52). After exclusion of adults with emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the RR of lung cancer death associated with asthma was 3.54 (95% CI: 1.93-6.42).Consistent with prior reports, we observed an increased risk of lung cancer mortality associated with asthma among nonsmokers without a history of cancer.

Background: Research examining the association between childhood abuse and depressive disorders has frequently assessed abuse categorically, thus not permitting discernment of the cumulative impact of multiple types of abuse. As previous research has documented that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are highly interrelated, we examined the association between the number of such experiences (ACE score) and the risk of depressive disorders. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 9460 adult health maintenance organization members in a primary care clinic in San Diego, CAwho completed a survey addressing a variety of health-related concerns, which included standardized assessments of lifetime and recent depressive disorders, childhood abuse and household dysfunction. Results: Lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders was 23%. Childhood emotional abuse increased risk for lifetime depressive disorders, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 2.7 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.3–3.2] in women and 2.5 (95% CI, 1.9–3.2) in men. We found a strong, dose–response relationship between the ACE score and the probability of lifetime and recent depressive disorders (P

Background— The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, to the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to examine the mediating impact on this relation of both traditional IHD risk factors and psychological factors that are associated with ACEs. Methods and Results— Retrospective cohort survey data were collected from 17 337 adult health plan members from 1995 to 1997. Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, race, and education was used to estimate the strength of the ACE–IHD relation and the mediating impact of IHD risk factors in this relation. Nine of 10 categories of ACEs significantly increased the risk of IHD by 1.3- to 1.7-fold versus persons with no ACEs. The adjusted odds ratios for IHD among persons with ≥7 ACEs was 3.6 (95% CI, 2.4 to 5.3). The ACE–IHD relation was mediated more strongly by individual psychological risk factors commonly associated with ACEs than by traditional IHD risk factors. We observed significant association between increased likelihood of reported IHD (adjusted ORs) and depressed affect (2.1, 1.9 to 2.4) and anger (2.5, 2.1 to 3.0) as well as traditional risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes and hypertension), with ORs ranging from 1.2 to 2.7. Conclusions— We found a dose-response relation of ACEs to IHD and a relation between almost all individual ACEs and IHD. Psychological factors appear to be more important than traditional risk factors in mediating the relation of ACEs to the risk of IHD. These findings provide further insights into the potential pathways by which stressful childhood experiences may increase the risk of IHD in adulthood.

Childhood abuse and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have historically been studied individually, and relatively little is known about the co-occurrence of these events. The purpose of this study is to examine the degree to which ACEs co-occur as well as the nature of their co-occurrence.We used data from 8,629 adult members of a health plan who completed a survey about 10 ACEs which included: childhood abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), neglect (emotional and physical), witnessing domestic violence, parental marital discord, and living with substance abusing, mentally ill, or criminal household members. The bivariate relationship between each of these 10 ACEs was assessed, and multivariate linear regression models were used to describe the interrelatedness of ACEs after adjusting for demographic factors.Two-thirds of participants reported at least one ACE; 81%-98% of respondents who had experienced one ACE reported at least one additional ACE (median: 87%). The presence of one ACE significantly increased the prevalence of having additional ACEs, elevating the adjusted odds by 2 to 17.7 times (median: 2.8). The observed number of respondents with high ACE scores was notably higher than the expected number under the assumption of independence of ACEs (p.0001), confirming the statistical interrelatedness of ACEs.The study provides strong evidence that ACEs are interrelated rather than occurring independently. Therefore, collecting information about exposure to other ACEs is advisable for studies that focus on the consequences of a specific ACE. Assessment of multiple ACEs allows for the potential assessment of a graded relationship between these childhood exposures and health and social outcomes.

This study examined the prevalence of a history of various combinations of childhood maltreatment types (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing of maternal battering) among adult members of a health maintenance organization (HMO) and explored the relationship with adult mental health of the combinations of types of childhood maltreatment and emotional abuse in the childhood family environment.A total of 8,667 adult members of an HMO completed measures of childhood exposure to family dysfunction, which included items on physical and sexual abuse, witnessing of maternal battering, and emotional abuse in the childhood family environment. The adults' current mental health was assessed by using the mental health scale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey.The prevalences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing of maternal violence were 21.6%, 20.6%, and 14.0%, respectively, when the maltreatment types were considered separately. Among respondents reporting any of the maltreatment types, 34.6% reported more than one type of maltreatment. Lower mean mental health scores were associated with higher numbers of abuse categories (mean=78.5, 75.5, 72.8, and 69.9 for respondents with no, one, two, and three abuse types, respectively). Both an emotionally abusive family environment and the interaction of an emotionally abusive family environment with the various maltreatment types had a significant effect on mental health scores.Childhood physical and sexual abuse, as well as witnessing of maternal battering, were common among the adult members of an HMO in this study. Among those reporting any maltreatment, more than one-third had experienced more than one type of maltreatment. A dose-response relation was found between the number of types of maltreatment reported and mental health scores. In addition, an emotionally abusive family environment accentuated the decrements in mental health scores. Future research examining the effects of childhood maltreatment on adult mental health should include assessments of a wide range of abusive experiences, as well as the family atmosphere in which they occur.

This study assesses the relationship of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to nine other categories of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including childhood abuse, neglect, and multiple types of household dysfunction.Retrospective cohort study data were collected from 17,337 adult health plan members who responded to a survey questionnaire. Regression models adjusted for age, race, and education were used to estimate the strength of the association of CSA to each of the other nine ACEs and a graded relationship between measures of the severity of CSA and the number of other ACEs (ACE score).CSA was reported by 25% of women and 16% of men. In comparison with persons who were not exposed to CSA, the likelihood of experiencing each category of ACE increased 2- to 3.4-fold for women and 1.6- to 2.5-fold for men (p0.05). The adjusted mean ACE score showed a significant positive graded relationship to the severity, duration, and frequency of CSA and an inverse relationship to age at first occurrence of CSA (p0.01).CSA is strongly associated with experiencing multiple other forms of ACEs. The strength of this association appears to increase as the measures of severity of the CSA increases. The understanding of the interrelatedness of CSA with multiple ACEs should be considered in the design of studies, treatment, and programs to prevent CSA as well as other forms of ACEs.

Information about the relationship of experiencing abuse or witnessing domestic violence in childhood to the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood is scant. The relationship of childhood physical or sexual abuse or growing up with a battered mother to the risk of being a victim of IPV for women or a perpetrator for men was studied among 8,629 participants in the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study conducted in a large HMO. Each of the three violent childhood experiences increased the risk of victimization or perpetration of IPV approximately two-fold. A statistically significant graded relationship was found between the number of violent experiences and the risk of IPV. Among persons who had all three forms of violent childhood experiences, the risk of victimization and perpetration was increased 3.5-fold for women and 3.8-fold for men. These data suggest that as part of risk assessment for IPV in adults, screening for a history of childhood abuse or exposure to domestic violence is needed.

Adult alcohol abuse has been linked to childhood abuse and family dysfunction. However, little information is available about the contribution of multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in combination with parental alcohol abuse, to the risk of later alcohol abuse. A questionnaire about childhood abuse, parental alcoholism and family dysfunction while growing up was completed by adult HMO members in order to retrospectively assess the independent relationship of eight ACEs to the risk of adult alcohol abuse. The number of ACEs was used in stratified logistic regression models to assess their impact on several adult alcohol problems in the presence or absence of parental alcoholism. Each of the eight individual ACEs was associated with a higher risk alcohol abuse as an adult. Compared to persons with no ACEs, the risk of heavy drinking, self-reported alcoholism, and marrying an alcoholic were increased twofold to fourfold by the presence of multiple ACEs, regardless of parental alcoholism. Prevention of ACEs and treatment of persons affected by them may reduce the occurrence of adult alcohol problems.

The study examined how growing up with alcoholic parents and having adverse childhood experiences are related to the risk of alcoholism and depression in adulthood.In this retrospective cohort study, 9,346 adults who visited a primary care clinic of a large health maintenance organization completed a survey about nine adverse childhood experiences: experiencing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; witnessing domestic violence; parental separation or divorce; and growing up with drug-abusing, mentally ill, suicidal, or criminal household members. The associations between parental alcohol abuse, the adverse experiences, and alcoholism and depression in adulthood were assessed by logistic regression analyses.The risk of having had all nine of the adverse childhood experiences was significantly greater among the 20 percent of respondents who reported parental alcohol abuse. The number of adverse experiences had a graded relationship to alcoholism and depression in adulthood, independent of parental alcohol abuse. The prevalence of alcoholism was higher among persons who reported parental alcohol abuse, no matter how many adverse experiences they reported. The association between parental alcohol abuse and depression was accounted for by the higher risk of having adverse childhood experiences in alcoholic families.Children in alcoholic households are more likely to have adverse experiences. The risk of alcoholism and depression in adulthood increases as the number of reported adverse experiences increases regardless of parental alcohol abuse. Depression among adult children of alcoholics appears to be largely, if not solely, due to the greater likelihood of having had adverse childhood experiences in a home with alcohol-abusing parents.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have investigated risk factors that predispose males to be involved in teen pregnancies. To provide new information on such factors, we examined the relationships of eight common adverse childhood experiences to a male’s risk of impregnating a teenager. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using questionnaire responses from 7399 men who visited a primary care clinic of a large health maintenance organization in California. Data included age of the youngest female ever impregnated; the man’s own age at the time; his history of childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; having a battered mother; parental separation or divorce; and having household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill, or criminals. Odds ratios (ORs) for the risk of involvement in a teen pregnancy were adjusted for age, race, and education. RESULTS: At least one adverse childhood experience was reported by 63% of participants, and 34% had at least two adverse childhood experiences; 19% of men had been involved in a teen pregnancy. Each adverse childhood experience was positively associated with impregnating a teenager, with ORs ranging from 1.2 (sexual abuse) to 1.8 (criminal in home). We found strong graded relationships (P < .001) between the number of adverse childhood experiences and the risk of involvement in a teen pregnancy for each of four birth cohorts during the last century. Compared with males with no adverse childhood experiences, a male with at least five adverse childhood experiences had an OR of 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0, 3.4) for impregnating a teenager. The magnitude of the ORs for the adverse childhood experiences was reduced 64 ‐100% by adjustment for potential intermediate variables (age at first intercourse, number of sexual partners, having a sexually transmitted disease, and alcohol or drug abuse) that also exhibited a strong graded relationship to adverse childhood experiences. CONCLUSION: Adverse childhood experiences have an important relationship to male involvement in teen pregnancy. This relationship has persisted throughout four successive birth cohorts dating back to 1900 ‐1929, suggesting that the effects of adverse childhood experiences transcend changing sexual mores and contraceptive methods. Efforts to prevent teen pregnancy will likely benefit from preventing adverse childhood experiences and their associated effects on male behaviors that might mediate the increased risk of teen pregnancy. (Obstet Gynecol 2002; 100:37‐ 45. © 2002 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.)

OBJECTIVE: This study is a detailed examination of the association between parental alcohol abuse (mother only, father only, or both parents) and multiple forms of childhood abuse, neglect, and other household dysfunction, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). METHOD: A questionnaire about ACEs including child abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, and exposure to parental alcohol abuse was completed by 8629 adult HMO members to retrospectively assess the relationship of growing up with parental alcohol abuse to 10 ACEs and multiple ACEs (ACE score). RESULTS: Compared to persons who grew up with no parental alcohol abuse, the adjusted odds ratio for each category of ACE was approximately 2 to 13 times higher if either the mother, father, or both parents abused alcohol (p Language: en

Summary Clinicians have noted that childhood abuse survivors frequently report that they have forgotten large parts of their childhood. While memory for abusive experiences has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers, other types of memory disturbances may also accompany a history of childhood trauma. Many clinicians report that certain types of sexual abuse, and abuse at certain developmental stages, is more likely to result in reports of gaps in memory for the abuse. However, because information has been mainly collected in clinical populations, the possibility of confounding between abusive experiences and psychological disturbances cannot be ruled out. This article reports on data gathered from a large, epidemiologic study conducted within a health maintenance organization. A history of childhood physical or sexual abuse doubled the prevalence of general autobiographical memory loss for women, while for men, the rate increased 1.5 times over those with no abuse history. Higher rates of au...

PURPOSE: To assess the role of serum folate in the risk for coronary heart disease in a national cohort of US adults. METHODS: Data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (N = 1921) were used to determine whether a low serum folate concentration was associated with an increased risk for incident coronary heart disease (N = 284). The Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, race, education, serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The association between folate and risk for coronary heart disease differed by age group (p = 0.03). Among persons aged 35–55 years, the relative risk for heart disease was 2.4 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1–5.2) for persons in the lowest quartile (⩽ 9.9 nmol/L) when compared with those in the highest quartile (⩾ 21.8 nmol/L). However, among persons ⩾ 55 years the relative risk was 0.5 (95% CI, 0.3–0.8) for comparisons of the lowest versus highest quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: If the age differences in the risk for heart disease are confirmed, randomized clinical trials assessing the role of folic acid for the prevention of heart disease may need to include young adults in order to demonstrate benefits related to folate supplementation.

Background.We examined the association between clustering of risk factors and the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Methods.Data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study (N= 12,932) were used to estimate the relative risk for coronary heart disease (N= 2,255), stroke (N= 929), and death from any cause (N= 4,506) by the number of cardiovascular disease risk factors present. Risk factors included current smoking, overweight, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes. Results.The proportions of respondents with 0, 1, 2, 3, or ≥4 risk factors were 25.0, 32.8, 27.8, 12.3, and 2.1%, respectively. Relative risks for coronary heart disease associated with having 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 risk factors were 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4,1.9), 2.2 (95% CI 1.9,2.6), 3.1 (95% CI 2.6,3.6), and 5.0 (95% CI 3.9,6.3), respectively. Relative risks for stroke associated with the same risk levels were 1.4 (95% CI 1.1,1.8), 1.9 (95% CI 1.5,2.4), 2.3 (95% CI 1.7,3.0), and 4.3 (95% CI 3.0,6.3), respectively. Similar results were observed for all-cause mortality. Conclusions.Risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality increased substantially with each additional risk factor. This supports the continued need for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Introduction Data to assess factors associated with differences in coronary heart disease mortality between Caucasians and African Americans are limited. We assessed risks for sudden, nonsudden, and other coronary death between Caucasians and African Americans in relation to known risk factors for coronary disease and socioeconomic status. Methods We analyzed data from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey, the 1985 National Health Interview Survey, and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Logistic regression methods were used to create multivariate models to assess the relationship of socioeconomic status and other known modifiable risk factors to death from each of the three coronary diseases for Caucasians and African Americans separately. Results In an age- and gender-adjusted analysis of data on men 25-44 years old and women 25-54 years old, African Americans had about twice the risk for sudden, nonsudden, or other coronary death as did Caucasians. Adjusted risks for coronary death for Caucasians associated with modifiable risk factors (cigarette smoking, body weight, diabetes, and hypertension) either resembled or were slightly greater than those for African Americans. Half or more of all excess risks for African Americans in multivariate models could be explained by socioeconomic status. About 18% of excess sudden coronary death risk could be further explained by known modifiable coronary heart disease risk factors. Conclusions Broad public health efforts are needed to address these causes of excess mortality.

Physical activity is inversely associated with depressive symptoms, and cigarette smoking is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) and the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up study were analyzed to determine whether the relationship between physical activity and self-reported distress (depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) was different for cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (adjusted for age, race, sex, education, alcohol use, and perceived health status) for depressive symptoms (> or = 16) associated with physical activity and smoking status among 2,054 respondents. At baseline, the odds ratio for depressive symptoms was about 2 times higher for moderately active smokers and nonsmokers, and 3 times higher for low active smokers and nonsmokers, compared with highly active nonsmokers. For 1,132 persons with a low number of depressive symptoms (< 16) at baseline, the incidence of depressive symptoms after 7-9 yr of follow-up was about 2 times higher for low/moderately active smokers and nonsmokers than for highly active nonsmokers. The association between physical activity and the prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms is not significantly modified by smoking status.

We assessed the relationship between depression and smoking initiation among people of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry residing in specific geographic areas of the United States. Survey data were examined to calculate incidence of smoking initiation and prevalences and odds ratios for ever smoking by presence of depressed mood, a history of major depression or both conditions. Depressed mood, a history of major depression or both conditions were associated with smoking initiation risks during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. These findings suggest that the relationship between depressive states and smoking initiation is established early in life. More definitive studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Background and Purpose A serum folate concentration ≤9.2 nmol/L has been associated with elevated levels of plasma homocyst(e)ine. Elevated homocyst(e)ine levels have been associated with ischemic stroke in case-control studies; however, the results from prospective studies have been equivocal. We investigated whether a folate concentration ≤9.2 nmol/L was associated with ischemic stroke in a national cohort. Methods We used data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (n=2006). Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to adjust for differences in follow-up time and covariates. During the 13-year follow-up, 98 ischemic strokes occurred. Results After adjusting for age, race, sex, education, diabetes, history of heart disease, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, hemoglobin level, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake, participants with a folate concentration ≤9.2 nmol/L were at slightly increased risk for ischemic stroke (relative risk [RR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 2.29). There was a folate-race interaction ( P =.11 for interaction term). Whites with a folate concentration ≤9.2 nmol/L had a relative risk of 1.18 (95% CI, 0.67 to 2.08), whereas blacks had a relative risk of 3.60 (95% CI, 1.02 to 12.71). Conclusions These findings suggest that a folate concentration ≤9.2 nmol/L may be a risk factor for ischemic stroke, especially in blacks. However, given the small number of stroke events, additional studies are needed to assess the role of folate in the epidemiology of ischemic stroke.

Because past research has focused primarily on populations of middle-aged men, the relationship between alcohol and mortality among women and the elderly has been less well substantiatedWe examined the relationship between alcohol intake and mortality using data from the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. Total mortality was examined for both sexes (N = 4,614 women, 3,573 men), but ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality was examined only for men because the number of deaths was too small in women. Proportional hazards modeling was used to adjust for the baseline characteristics of age, race, education, body weight, smoking and physical activity.For men aged 40 to 64, the adjusted relative risks (RR) of death for drinking levels of .5 drinks/day, .5 to2 andor = 2 (compared to the nondrinking reference group) were 0.8 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.6, 1.1), 0.9 (CI:0.6, 1.2) and 1.2 (CI: 0.9, 1.6); RRs of IHD mortality were 0.6 (CI: 0.4, 0.9), 0.5 (CI: 0.3, 0.9) and 0.7 (CI: 0.5, 1.2). For women aged 40 to 64, the RRs for death for the same exposure categories were 1.2 (CI: 0.9, 1.6), 0.9 (CI: 0.6, 1.4) and 1.9 (CI: 1.2, 3.0). Among both sexes 65 years and older, consumption of2 drinks/day was associated with about a 20% decrease in total mortality and IHD mortality (men only). However, this protective effect disappeared after exclusion of those with pre-existing disease.Our findings support a protective effect of moderate alcohol intake on IHD mortality in middle-aged men. Among both men and women, there was little evidence of a protective association between moderate alcohol intake and total mortality after excluding those with pre-existing disease.

During 1988, more than 40 state health departments conducted telephone surveys to obtain state-specific population estimates of the prevalence of adult health behaviors and health practices. However, the comparability of estimates obtained from these telephone surveys with more expensive in-person surveys has not been assessed in an applied setting. This study compared the prevalence estimates of smoking and binge drinking obtained from a telephone survey (N = 1,492) with an in-person survey (N = 2,802) which were conducted by the state of Michigan during 1982–1983. Although the standard errors for the differences in the estimates for the two surveys were relatively large, the actual differences were consistently small within most age-, sex-, and education-specific groups. Despite certain limitations, telephone surveys provide a reasonable alternative to in-person surveys for estimating the prevalence of health behaviors. The data obtained from these surveys are being used to set state health objectives, to plan statewide health promotion programs, and to support public health legislation.

Objective Our objective was to examine the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and smoking behavior among a random sample of adults living in five U.S. states. Methods We used data from 25,809 participants of the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess the relationship of each of the 8 adverse childhood experiences and the adverse childhood experience score to smoking status. Results and conclusions Some 59.4% of men and women reported at least one adverse childhood experience. Each of the eight adverse childhood experiences measures was significantly associated with smoking status after adjustment for demographic variables. The prevalence ratios for current and ever smoking increased in a positive graded fashion as the adverse childhood experience score increased. Among adults who reported no adverse childhood experiences, 13.0% were currently smoking and 38.3% had ever smoked. Compared to participants with an adverse childhood experience score of 0, those with an adverse childhood experience score of 5 or more were more likely to be a current smoker (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.92–2.57) and to have ever smoked (aPR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.67–1.93). Further research is warranted to determine whether the prevention of and interventions for adverse childhood experiences might reduce the burden of smoking-related illness in the general population.

Although coronary heart disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among persons with diabetes, the risk factors for coronary heart disease have not been well established for this population. The authors performed a case-control analysis by using data from two large population-based surveys. Cases of persons who died of coronary heart disease were identified from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey, and controls were taken from behavioral risk factor surveys conducted in 35 states in 1988. Diabetic women younger than 55 years with no other risk factors for coronary heart disease had a 16-fold higher risk of dying from coronary heart disease than did women without diabetes. About one-third of younger women who died of coronary heart disease had diabetes. Diabetic men less than 45 years old with no other risk factors for coronary heart disease had an eightfold higher risk of coronary heart disease mortality. Among older white men and women, diabetes increased the risk of mortality from coronary heart disease about twofold. In younger diabetics, current cigarette smoking was associated with a 50% increase in risk, and high blood pressure increased the risk more than threefold. In the older age group, risk factors for coronary heart disease mortality were similar among those with and those without diabetes: Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure each were associated with about a twofold increase in risk. Diabetes is a particularly strong risk factor for mortality from coronary heart disease in young adults. Smoking and blood pressure control represent major opportunities to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease among persons with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Although attempted weight loss is common, little is known about the goals and durations of weight loss attempts and the rates of achieved weight loss in the general population. METHODS. Data were collected by telephone in 1989 from adults aged 18 years and older in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Analyses were carried out separately for the 6758 men and 14,915 women who reported currently trying to lose weight. RESULTS. Approximately 25% of the men respondents and 40% of the women respondents reported that they were currently trying to lose weight. Among men, a higher percentage of Hispanics (31%) than of Whites (25%) or Blacks (23%) reported trying to lose weight. Among women, however, there were no ethnic differences in prevalence. The average man wanted to lose 30 pounds and to weigh 178 pounds; the average woman wanted to lose 31 pounds and to weigh 133 pounds. Black women wanted to lose an average of 8 pounds more than did White women, but Black women's goal weight was 10 pounds heavier. The average rate of achieved weight loss was 1.4 pounds per week for men and 1.1 pounds per week for women; these averages, however, may reflect only the experience of those most successful at losing weight. CONCLUSIONS. Attempted weight loss is a common behavior, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, and weight loss goals are substantial; however, obesity remains a major public health problem in the United States.

Background To assess the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including childhood abuse and neglect, and serious household dysfunction, and premature death of a family member. Because ACEs increase the risk for many of the leading causes of death in adults and tend to be familial and intergenerational, we hypothesized that persons who report having more ACEs would be more likely to have family members at risk of premature death. Methods We used data from 17,337 adult health plan members who completed a survey about 10 types of ACEs and whether a family member died before age 65. The prevalence of family member premature death and its association with ACEs were assessed. Results Family members of respondents who experienced any type of ACEs were more likely to have elevated prevalence for premature death relative to those of respondents without such experience (p < 0.01). The highest risk occurred among those who reported having been physically neglected and living with substance abusing or criminal family members during childhood. A powerful graded relationship between the number of ACEs and premature mortality in the family was observed for all age groups, and comparison between groups reporting 0 ACE and ≥ 4 ACEs yielded an OR of 1.8 (95%CI, 1.6–2.0). Conclusion Adverse childhood experiences may be an indicator of a chaotic family environment that results in an increased risk of premature death among family members.

To examine whether childhood traumatic stress increased the risk of developing autoimmune diseases as an adult.Retrospective cohort study of 15,357 adult health maintenance organization members enrolled in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study from 1995 to 1997 in San Diego, California, and eligible for follow-up through 2005. ACEs included childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; witnessing domestic violence; growing up with household substance abuse, mental illness, parental divorce, and/or an incarcerated household member. The total number of ACEs (ACE Score range = 0-8) was used as a measure of cumulative childhood stress. The outcome was hospitalizations for any of 21 selected autoimmune diseases and 4 immunopathology groupings: T- helper 1 (Th1) (e.g., idiopathic myocarditis); T-helper 2 (Th2) (e.g., myasthenia gravis); Th2 rheumatic (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis); and mixed Th1/Th2 (e.g., autoimmune hemolytic anemia).Sixty-four percent reported at least one ACE. The event rate (per 10,000 person-years) for a first hospitalization with any autoimmune disease was 31.4 in women and 34.4 in men. First hospitalizations for any autoimmune disease increased with increasing number of ACEs (p.05). Compared with persons with no ACEs, persons withor=2 ACEs were at a 70% increased risk for hospitalizations with Th1, 80% increased risk for Th2, and 100% increased risk for rheumatic diseases (p.05).Childhood traumatic stress increased the likelihood of hospitalization with a diagnosed autoimmune disease decades into adulthood. These findings are consistent with recent biological studies on the impact of early life stress on subsequent inflammatory responses.

Background Prescription drugs account for approximately 11% of national health expenditures. Prior research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which include common forms of child maltreatment and related traumatic stressors, has linked them to numerous health problems. However, data about the relationship of these experiences to prescription drug use are scarce. Method We used the ACE Score (an integer count of 8 different categories of ACEs) as a measure of cumulative exposure to traumatic stress during childhood. We prospectively assessed the relationship of the Score to prescription drug use in a cohort of 15,033 adult HMO patients (mean follow-up: 6.1 years) and assessed mediation of this relationship by documented ACE-related health and social problems. Results Nearly 1.2 million prescriptions were recorded; prescriptions rates increased in a graded fashion as the ACE Score increased (p for trend < 0.0001). Compared to persons with an ACE Score of 0, persons with a Score ≥ 5 had rates increased by 40%; graded relationships were seen for all age groups (18–44, 45–64, and 65–89 years) (p for trend < 0.01). Graded relationships were observed for the risk of being in the upper decile of number of classes of drugs used; persons with scores of ≥ 5 had this risk increased 2-fold. Adjustment for ACE-related health problems reduced the strength of the associations by more than 60%. Conclusion ACEs substantially increase the number of prescriptions and classes of drugs used for as long as 7 or 8 decades after their occurrence. The increases in prescription drug use were largely mediated by documented ACE-related health and social problems.