Measuring adverse childhood experiences with latent class trajectories

Area of Science:

• Child development
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative adolescent outcomes.
• Existing research often uses limited time points for ACEs assessment.
• The impact of ACEs trajectories on adolescent behaviors remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify latent trajectories of ACEs exposure across childhood.
• To examine the association between ACEs trajectories and adolescent problem behaviors (delinquency, substance use, anxiety, depression).
• To investigate the moderating role of maternal closeness in the ACEs-outcomes relationship.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n=3444) were utilized.
• ACEs were assessed at multiple time points (years 1, 3, 5, 9) with outcomes measured at year 15.
• Semiparametric latent class models were employed to estimate ACEs trajectories.

Main Results:

• Three distinct ACEs trajectories were identified: low/none, medium, and high exposure.
• Adolescents in the high ACEs exposure group showed increased risk for delinquency and substance use.
• The high ACEs group also reported significantly higher symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Conclusions:

• Repeated childhood ACEs exposure has severe long-term consequences for adolescents.
• Maternal closeness may serve as a protective factor, buffering the adverse effects of ACEs.
• Future research should employ empirical approaches to study age-graded ACEs trajectories.