Abstract
Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including maltreatment and exposure to household stressors can impact the health of children. Community factors that provide support, friendship and opportunities for development may build children’s resilience and protect them against some harmful impacts of ACEs. We examine if a history of ACEs is associated with poor childhood health and school attendance and the extent to which such outcomes are counteracted by community resilience assets.
Methods: A national (Wales) cross-sectional retrospective survey (n = 2452) using a stratified random probability sampling methodology and including a boost sample (n = 471) of Welsh speakers. Data collection used face-to-face
interviews at participants’ places of residence. Outcome measures were self-reported poor childhood health, specific conditions (asthma, allergies, headaches, digestive disorders) and school absenteeism.
Results: Prevalence of each common childhood condition, poor childhood health and school absenteeism increased with number of ACEs reported. Childhood community resilience assets (being treated fairly, supportive
childhood friends, being given opportunities to use your abilities, access to a trusted adult and having someone to look up to) were independently linked to better outcomes. In those with ≥4 ACEs the presence of all significant
resilience assets (vs none) reduced adjusted prevalence of poor childhood health from 59.8 to 21.3%.
Conclusions: Better prevention of ACEs through the combined actions of public services may reduce levels of common childhood conditions, improve school attendance and help alleviate pressures on public services. Whilst
the eradication of ACEs remains unlikely, actions to strengthen community resilience assets may partially offset their immediate harms.
Methods: A national (Wales) cross-sectional retrospective survey (n = 2452) using a stratified random probability sampling methodology and including a boost sample (n = 471) of Welsh speakers. Data collection used face-to-face
interviews at participants’ places of residence. Outcome measures were self-reported poor childhood health, specific conditions (asthma, allergies, headaches, digestive disorders) and school absenteeism.
Results: Prevalence of each common childhood condition, poor childhood health and school absenteeism increased with number of ACEs reported. Childhood community resilience assets (being treated fairly, supportive
childhood friends, being given opportunities to use your abilities, access to a trusted adult and having someone to look up to) were independently linked to better outcomes. In those with ≥4 ACEs the presence of all significant
resilience assets (vs none) reduced adjusted prevalence of poor childhood health from 59.8 to 21.3%.
Conclusions: Better prevention of ACEs through the combined actions of public services may reduce levels of common childhood conditions, improve school attendance and help alleviate pressures on public services. Whilst
the eradication of ACEs remains unlikely, actions to strengthen community resilience assets may partially offset their immediate harms.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 792 (2018) |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | BMC Public Health |
| Volume | 18 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 26 Jun 2018 |
Keywords
- adverse childhood experiences
- resilience
- school attendance
- digestive diseases
- asthma
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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via BMC at https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5699-8 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.