Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA.
Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA.
J Exp Child Psychol. 2024 Aug;244:105932. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105932. Epub 2024 May 7.
Childhood is a sensitive period of development during which early life experiences can facilitate either positive or negative health trajectories across subsequent developmental periods. Previous research has established strong links between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adverse health outcomes (e.g., sleep-related problems, pain, substance use). Despite this, less is known about positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and how they may buffer the effects of ACEs on health outcomes. The current study investigated whether PCEs moderate the associations between ACEs and health behavior and health-related outcomes (i.e., cannabis use, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, sleep-related impairment, pain intensity, and pain interference) in a sample of at-risk emerging adults. Participants (N = 165) were undergraduate college students (18-25 years of age) who reported frequent alcohol and/or cannabis use (≥3 times in the past week). A significant positive association was found between ACEs and cannabis use. There were also significant negative associations found between PCEs and pain interference and intensity. PCEs did not moderate any of the associations between ACEs and health behavior and health-related outcomes (i.e., cannabis use, alcohol use, sleep disturbance, sleep-related impairment, pain intensity, and pain interference). Findings suggest that PCEs may be unlikely to serve as a strong enough protective factor during early life to decrease risk for suboptimal health and health behaviors during emerging adulthood among individuals who report a greater accumulation of ACEs. Longitudinal research is needed to identify additional related risk and protective factors during early life to further support health and health behavior during this transitional period of development and beyond.
儿童期是一个发育敏感时期，在此期间，早期生活经历可以促进随后发展阶段的积极或消极健康轨迹。先前的研究已经确立了不良童年经历（ACEs）与不良健康结果（例如，睡眠相关问题、疼痛、物质使用）之间的紧密联系。尽管如此，对于积极的童年经历（PCEs）以及它们如何减轻 ACEs 对健康结果的影响知之甚少。本研究调查了 PCEs 是否可以调节 ACEs 与健康行为和健康相关结果（即大麻使用、酒精使用、睡眠障碍、睡眠相关障碍、疼痛强度和疼痛干扰）之间的关联，该研究样本为处于风险中的新兴成年人。参与者（N=165）为大学生（18-25 岁），他们报告经常使用酒精和/或大麻（过去一周内使用≥3 次）。ACEs 与大麻使用之间存在显著正相关。PCEs 与疼痛干扰和强度之间也存在显著负相关。PCEs 并没有调节 ACEs 与健康行为和健康相关结果（即大麻使用、酒精使用、睡眠障碍、睡眠相关障碍、疼痛强度和疼痛干扰）之间的任何关联。研究结果表明，在生命早期，PCEs 不太可能成为一种足够强大的保护因素，无法降低 ACEs 积累较多的个体在成年早期出现的健康和健康行为不良的风险。需要进行纵向研究，以确定生命早期的其他相关风险和保护因素，以进一步支持这一发展过渡时期及以后的健康和健康行为。
