Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Health Risk Behaviors and Chronic Health of Iowans

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), include childhood abuse and household dysfunction, and are associated with a variety of behavioral risk factors and chronic illnesses in adulthood. This study replicates the original ACEs study (Felitti et al. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258. doi:10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8, 1998) with a representative sample of adults in Iowa. Data come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey of 2012 when ACE assessments were first introduced in Iowa by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). The majority of adults in Iowa (58%) have experienced at least one ACE, and depending on the type of ACE, co-occurrence of ACEs ranged from 76% to 97%. Health risk behaviors in adulthood, such as drinking, smoking, and obesity were significantly related to the number of ACEs experienced. ACEs were also associated with depression. Chronic health outcomes including heart disease, stroke, and COPD were also significantly predicted by the number of ACEs. This replication study demonstrates that the need for intervention and prevention programs in Iowa are similar to the needs found in other states in the U.S. for addressing the consequences of ACEs.