Adverse Childhood Experiences and Diabetes Risk in Mississippi Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Mississippi faces high diabetes prevalence.
• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are increasingly linked to chronic diseases like diabetes.
• No prior research explored the ACEs-diabetes link specifically within Mississippi.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diabetes diagnosis in Mississippi adults.
• To quantify the relationship between the number of ACE categories and diabetes risk.
• To inform public health strategies and primary care interventions in Mississippi.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for Mississippi residents.
• Calculated total ACE exposure scores based on reported childhood adversities.
• Employed multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, and BMI, to model diabetes risk.

Main Results:

• Physical abuse (AOR 1.72) and sexual abuse (AOR 1.56) showed the highest odds of diabetes diagnosis.
• Each additional ACE category incrementally increased diabetes odds (1 ACE: AOR 1.02; 7 ACEs: AOR 2.20).
• A significant association was found between cumulative ACE exposure and diabetes diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Adverse childhood experiences are strongly associated with increased diabetes risk among Mississippi adults.
• These findings underscore the importance of addressing ACEs in diabetes prevention and management strategies.
• Interventions in legislation, public health campaigns, and primary care screening are recommended to mitigate diabetes burden.