The Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences Is Associated with Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Adolescents

Lackova Rebicova, Miriama; Dankulincova Veselska, Zuzana; Husarova, Daniela; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; van Dijk, Jitse P.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

doi:10.3390/ijerph16132446

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The Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences Is Associated with Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Adolescents

Miriama Lackova Rebicova

^1,2,*,

Zuzana Dankulincova Veselska

^1,2,

Daniela Husarova

^1,2

Andrea Madarasova Geckova

^1,2,3

Jitse P. van Dijk

^2,3,4 and

Sijmen A. Reijneveld

⁴

Department of Health Psychology, Medical Faculty, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia

Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia

Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Univerzitni 22, 771 11 Olomouc, Czech Republic

⁴

Department of Community & Occupational Health, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(13), 2446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132446

Received: 30 May 2019 / Revised: 4 July 2019 / Accepted: 5 July 2019 / Published: 9 July 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances of Adolescents and Children Health Research)

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Abstract

This study aims to examine the association of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) with emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) among adolescents and the degree to which this association is stronger for more ACE. In addition, we assessed whether socioeconomic position (SEP) modifies the association of ACE with EBP. We obtained data from 341 adolescents aged 10–16 (mean age = 13.14 years; 44.0% boys), the baseline of a cohort study. We measured EBP with the strengths and difficulties questionnaire and socioeconomic position (SEP) with self-reported financial status. We used generalized linear models to analyze the association between ACE (0 vs. 1–2 vs. 3 and more) and EBP, and the modifying effect of SEP. Adolescents with 1–2 ACE (regression coefficient: 0.19; 95%-confidence interval (CI): 0.06–0.32) and with 3 ACE and over (0.35; 0.17–0.54) reported more overall problems compared with adolescents without ACE. Moreover, adolescents with 1–2 ACE (0.16; −0.01–0.32, and 0.16; 0.03–0.29) and with 3 and over ACE (0.33; 0.10–0.56, and 0.28; 0.09–0.47) reported more emotional problems and behavioral problems, respectively. The interactions of SEP with ACE were not significant. ACE are related to EBP among adolescents, with a clear dose-response association, and this association similarly holds for all SEP categories. View Full-Text

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; emotional problems; behavioral problems; adolescence

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lackova Rebicova, M.; Dankulincova Veselska, Z.; Husarova, D.; Madarasova Geckova, A.; van Dijk, J.P.; Reijneveld, S.A. The Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences Is Associated with Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 2446. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132446

AMA Style

Lackova Rebicova M, Dankulincova Veselska Z, Husarova D, Madarasova Geckova A, van Dijk JP, Reijneveld SA. The Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences Is Associated with Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(13):2446. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132446

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lackova Rebicova, Miriama, Zuzana Dankulincova Veselska, Daniela Husarova, Andrea Madarasova Geckova, Jitse P. van Dijk, and Sijmen A. Reijneveld. 2019. "The Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences Is Associated with Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Adolescents" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 13: 2446. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132446

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