Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, United States of America.
Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, United States of America.
Child Abuse Negl. 2023 Jun;140:106142. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106142. Epub 2023 Mar 17.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with several negative health and behavioral outcomes during adolescence, but most of the extant research has employed ACEs scores at one or two time points. Studies have not assessed whether latent class ACEs trajectories affect adolescent problem behaviors and conditions.
We used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS, n = 3444) to assess ACEs at several time points and empirically developed latent class trajectories. We then examined the sociodemographic characteristics of youth who belonged to each trajectory group. We next evaluated whether the ACEs trajectories during childhood were associated with delinquent behavior, substance use, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Finally, we explored whether closeness to mother buffered the impact of ACEs on these outcomes.
Eight types of ACEs were captured in the FFCWS data. ACE scores were assessed at year one, three, five, and nine, along with the outcomes during year 15. Trajectories were estimated with a semiparametric latent class models.
The analysis revealed three latent trajectories during childhood: a low/none ACEs group, a medium exposure group, and a high exposure group. Adolescents in the high exposure group manifested a heightened risk of involvement in delinquent behaviors and substance use. They also reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression than their peers in the low/none and medium exposure groups.
Repeated exposure to ACEs during childhood can have serious negative repercussions in the lives of adolescents, but maternal closeness may buffer their effects. Scholars should continue to examine the dynamics of ACEs exposure during childhood by using empirical approaches appropriate for identifying age-graded trajectories.
不良童年经历（ACEs）与青少年时期的许多负面健康和行为结果有关，但大多数现有研究仅在一个或两个时间点使用 ACEs 评分。研究尚未评估潜在类别 ACEs 轨迹是否会影响青少年的问题行为和状况。
我们使用脆弱家庭与儿童健康研究（FFCWS，n=3444）的纵向数据，在多个时间点评估 ACEs，并实证性地开发潜在类别轨迹。然后，我们考察了属于每个轨迹组的青年的社会人口统计学特征。接下来，我们评估了儿童时期的 ACEs 轨迹是否与犯罪行为、物质使用以及焦虑或抑郁症状有关。最后，我们探讨了与母亲的亲密程度是否缓冲了 ACEs 对这些结果的影响。
FFCWS 数据中捕获了八种 ACEs。在第 1 年、第 3 年、第 5 年和第 9 年评估 ACE 评分，同时在第 15 年评估结果。使用半参数潜在类别模型估计轨迹。
分析显示儿童时期存在三种潜在轨迹：低/无 ACEs 组、中暴露组和高暴露组。高暴露组的青少年表现出参与犯罪行为和物质使用的风险增加。与低/无和中暴露组的同龄人相比，他们也报告了更多的焦虑和抑郁症状。
儿童时期反复暴露于 ACEs 可能会对青少年的生活产生严重的负面影响，但母亲的亲密关系可能会缓冲其影响。学者们应该继续使用适合识别年龄分级轨迹的实证方法来研究儿童时期 ACEs 暴露的动态。
