ArticleBMC public health2020
The frequencies and disparities of adverse childhood experiences in the U.S.
Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 219 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Investigating Effects of Family-Centered Treatment for Depression in Primary Care for Hispanic Youth
Identifying Social, Molecular, & Immunological Processes for Mitigating Toxic Stress & Enhancing Personalized Resilience
Teaching Youth & Families Self-Regulation Skills to Disrupt the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Preventing Substance Use in Adversity- Impacted Youth
Who cites it
219 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 440 citations in OpenAlex.
- Experiences of Interpersonal Trauma Among Parents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review.Trauma, violence & abuse · 2023Pooled it
- Deconstructing pathways to resilience: A systematic review of associations between psychosocial mechanisms and transdiagnostic adult mental health outcomes in the context of adverse childhood experiences.Clinical psychology & psychotherapy · 2022Pooled it
- Trial
- Progressive exercise training improves cardiovascular psychophysiological outcomes in young adult women with a history of adverse childhood experiences.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2023Trial
- Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Asian American Adults: Findings from the 2021 California Health Interview Survey.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Article
- Associations Among Natural Disaster Exposure, Childhood Adversity, and Cognitive Functioning in Older Americans in the Health and Retirement Study.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026Article
- Suicidal Ideation Among Students at a United States Seminary: The "Wounded Healer" and Implications for Clergy Mental Health.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Do Injury, Depression, and PTSD Mediate the Relationships Between Latent Profiles of Cumulative Lifetime Violence and Chronic Pain Disability in Men?Research in nursing & health · 2026Article
- Early life stress blunts time-of-day-specific autonomic function in adult male mice.American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2026Article
- Clinicians' Perspectives on Providing Trauma-Informed Perinatal Care.Research in nursing & health · 2026Article
- The long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences on episodic memory in mid- to late-life among US older adults.Aging & mental health · 2026Article
- Adverse childhood experiences and adolescent mental health: trajectories of internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behaviour in a longitudinal cohort study.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2026Article
- Combined maternal separation and limited bedding-nesting increase goal tracking, delay discounting, and impulsive action, and moderate sign-tracking-perseverance associations in male rats.BMC neuroscience · 2026Article
- Expanded adverse childhood experiences and postpartum mental health among an under-resourced sample of Spanish- and English-speaking mothers referred for community-based mental health services during pregnancy.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Caregiver Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, and Mental Health in a Predominantly Hispanic Pediatric Clinic Setting.Journal of child & adolescent trauma · 2026Article
- The Role of Maternal Depression in Racial Disparities and Birth Weight.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Associations between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stressful Life Events, and Child Behavioral Outcomes in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Families.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Article
- Adverse childhood experiences and risk of living with HIV among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) people: a cross-sectional study.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2026Article
- Adverse childhood experiences, adult adiposity, and risk of young-onset breast cancer subtypes in a population-based case-control study.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026Article
- Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Physical Activity, Recreational Screen Time, and Sleep Among U.S. Children.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
159 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdversity experienced during childhood manifests deleteriously across the lifespan. This study provides updated frequency estimates of ACEs using the most comprehensive and geographically diverse sample to date.
methodsACEs data were collected via BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). Data from a total of 211,376 adults across 34 states were analyzed. The ACEs survey is comprised of 8 domains: physical/emotional/sexual abuse, household mental illness, household substance use, household domestic violence, incarcerated household member, and parental separation/divorce. Frequencies were calculated for each domain and summed to derive mean ACE scores. Findings were weighted and stratified by demographic variables. Group differences were assessed by post-estimation F-tests.
resultsMost individuals experienced at least one ACE (57.8%) with 21.5% experiencing 3+ ACEs. F-tests showed females had significantly higher ACEs than males (1.64 to 1.46). Multiracial individuals had a significantly higher ACEs (2.39) than all other races/ethnicities, while White individuals had significantly lower mean ACE scores (1.53) than Black (1.66) or Hispanic (1.63) individuals. The 25-to-34 age group had a significantly higher mean ACE score than any other group (1.98). Generally, those with higher income/educational attainment had lower mean ACE scores than those with lower income/educational attainment. Sexual minority individuals had higher ACEs than straight individuals, with significantly higher ACEs in bisexual individuals (3.01).
conclusionFindings highlight that childhood adversity is common across sociodemographic, yet higher in certain categories. Identifying at-risk populations for higher ACEs is essential to improving the health outcomes and attainment across the lifespan.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.