Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017 Oct;25(10):1097-1106. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2017.05.008. Epub 2017 May 26.
High rates of dementia have been observed in Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to describe childhood stress in older Aboriginal Australians and to examine associations with late-life health and dementia.
A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of community-dwelling older Aboriginal Australians.
Urban and regional communities in New South Wales, Australia.
336 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 60-92 years, of whom 296 were included in the current analyses.
Participants completed a life course survey of health, well-being, cognition, and social history including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), with consensus diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer disease.
CTQ scores ranged from 25-117 (median: 29) and were associated with several adverse childhood indicators including separation from family, poor childhood health, frequent relocation, and growing up in a major city. Controlling for age, higher CTQ scores were associated with depression, anxiety, suicide attempt, dementia diagnosis, and, specifically, Alzheimer disease. The association between CTQ scores and dementia remained significant after controlling for depression and anxiety variables (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.05-2.45). In contrast, there were no significant associations between CTQ scores and smoking, alcohol abuse, diabetes, or cardiovascular risk factors.
Childhood stress appears to have a significant impact on emotional health and dementia for older Aboriginal Australians. The ongoing effects of childhood stress need to be recognized as people grow older, particularly in terms of dementia prevention and care, as well as in populations with greater exposure to childhood adversity, such as Aboriginal Australians.
澳大利亚原住民中痴呆症的发病率很高。本研究旨在描述老年澳大利亚原住民的童年期压力，并探讨其与晚年健康和痴呆症的关系。
一项具有代表性的社区居住老年澳大利亚原住民的横断面研究。
澳大利亚新南威尔士州的城市和地区社区。
336 名年龄在 60-92 岁的澳大利亚原住民和/或托雷斯海峡岛民，其中 296 人纳入本次分析。
参与者完成了一项健康、幸福感、认知和社会史的人生历程调查，包括童年创伤问卷（CTQ），并对痴呆症和阿尔茨海默病进行了共识诊断。
CTQ 评分范围为 25-117（中位数：29），与多个不良童年指标相关，包括与家人分离、童年健康状况不佳、频繁搬迁以及在大城市长大。在控制年龄的情况下，较高的 CTQ 评分与抑郁、焦虑、自杀企图、痴呆症诊断以及特别是阿尔茨海默病有关。在控制抑郁和焦虑变量后，CTQ 评分与痴呆症的关联仍然显著（OR：1.61，95%CI：1.05-2.45）。相比之下，CTQ 评分与吸烟、酗酒、糖尿病或心血管危险因素之间没有显著关联。
童年期压力似乎对老年澳大利亚原住民的情绪健康和痴呆症有重大影响。随着人们年龄的增长，需要认识到童年期压力的持续影响，特别是在痴呆症的预防和护理方面，以及在更容易经历童年逆境的人群中，如澳大利亚原住民。
