Most Children Globally Exposed to at Least One Adverse Childhood Experience
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2024 -- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common globally, according to a review published online Nov. 11 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Sheri Madigan, Ph.D., from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to estimate the average prevalence of ACEs, identify characteristics and contexts associated with higher or lower ACE exposure, and explore methodological factors that might influence these prevalence estimates.
Based on 65 studies (490,423 children from 18 countries), the researchers found that the estimated mean prevalence rates were 42.3 percent for 0 ACEs, 22.0 percent for one ACE, 12.7 percent for two ACEs, 8.1 percent for three ACEs, and 14.8 percent for four or more ACEs. Adolescents versus children (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.16), children in residential care (PR, 1.26), those with a history of juvenile offending (PR, 1.29), and Indigenous peoples (1.63) had higher prevalence rates of four or more ACEs. Studies with file review as the primary assessment method (PR, 1.29) also had higher prevalence rates of four or more ACEs, whereas the prevalence of no ACEs was lower in questionnaire-based studies in which children versus parents were informants (PR, 0.85).
"Effective early identification and prevention strategies, including targeted codesigned community interventions, can reduce the prevalence of ACEs and mitigate their severe effects, thereby minimizing the harmful health consequences of childhood adversity in future generations," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Helping Others Linked to Higher Level of Cognitive Function
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Helping others, both via formal volunteering and informal helping, is associated with higher levels of cognitive function and slower cognitive decline...
TAR-200 Monotherapy Promising for BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- For patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), an intravesical...
Work-Related Income Drops for Parents of Children Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Work-related income decreases sharply for mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, with similar effects across sociodemographic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.