Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA.
Human Development and Familiy Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2023 Jul;97(1):81-110. doi: 10.1177/00914150221106096. Epub 2022 Jun 16.
Given the scarce past research on custodial grandparents' early life circumstances, we investigated frequencies, patterns, and predictors of 14 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported by 355 custodial grandmothers (CGMs). Predominant ACEs were bullying (54.6%), verbal abuse (51.5%), physical abuse (45.4%), and living with a substance abuser (41.1%). Only 11% of CGMs reported 0 ACEs, whereas 52.4% reported >4. Latent class analyses yielded three classes of ACE exposure: minimal (54.1%), physical/emotional abuse (25.9%), and complex (20.0%). Age was the only demographic factor related to ACE class, with the complex class being younger than the other two. MANCOVAs with age as a covariate revealed that different ACE profiles have unique impacts on CGMs' physical and psychological well-being. We conclude that ACEs are highly prevalent among CGMs and a serious public health concern. Future research addressing ACEs among CGMs is critical in order to support these caregivers and promote resilience in custodial grandfamilies.
鉴于过去对监护祖辈早年生活环境的研究甚少，我们调查了 355 名监护祖母（CGMs）报告的 14 种不良儿童经历（ACEs）的频率、模式和预测因素。主要的 ACEs 是欺凌（54.6%）、言语虐待（51.5%）、身体虐待（45.4%）和与滥用药物者同住（41.1%）。只有 11%的 CGMs 报告没有 ACEs，而 52.4%的 CGMs 报告有超过 4 种 ACEs。潜在类别分析产生了三种 ACE 暴露类别：最小（54.1%）、身体/情感虐待（25.9%）和复杂（20.0%）。年龄是唯一与 ACE 类别相关的人口统计学因素，复杂类别比其他两个类别年轻。在以年龄为协变量的 MANCOVA 中，不同的 ACE 分布对 CGMs 的身心健康有独特的影响。我们得出结论，ACEs 在 CGMs 中非常普遍，是一个严重的公共卫生问题。未来研究关注 CGMs 中的 ACEs 对于支持这些照顾者并促进监护家庭的恢复力至关重要。
