Association of adverse childhood experiences with poor health condition among middle-aged and elderly adults in the United States: A nationally retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The specific effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in adulthood and senectitude were less known. We aim to examine the relationship between early ACEs and overall health condition as well as specific dimensions in the middle-aged and elderly population. METHODS: In the 2019-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Study, robust Poisson regression models were used to estimate the relationship between ACE exposure and current health status among adults aged 45 ≥ years. RESULTS: Of the 195,472 participants, 53.8 % were female and the mean age was 65.0 years. Compared to populations without ACE, ACE exposures were more significantly associated with depression (PR 2.03, 95 %CI 1.94-2.21), frequent mental health (PR 1.85, 95 %CI 1.74-1.97) and subject cognitive decline (PR 1.99, 95 %CI1.85-2.14) than with physical health (PR 1.37, 95 %CI 1.32-1.44), with dose-response patterns. The association with mental disorder was especially significant among the elderly population. CONCLUSION: Early ACEs are associated with adverse health outcomes that persist into later life, particularly mental disorders and cognitive decline. Poor mental health may indirectly influence associations with ACEs and cognitive decline as well as physical health. Our findings emphasize the importance of lifelong psychological screening and support for the ACE-exposed middle-aged and elderly population.