A longitudinal study of adverse childhood experiences and discrimination in adulthood

While both adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and discrimination have independently been linked to health disparities, few studies have examined how early-life adversity may predispose individuals to perceive or experience discrimination.

This study explores the long-term cumulative, typological and time-varying effects of ACEs on discrimination in adulthood using a representative longitudinal data.

Four public waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used. The final analytical sample consists of 3107 respondents.

Latent class analysis was used to identify latent ACE classes. OLS and Negative binomial regression models were conducted to examine the effects of varied ACEs measures on discrimination experiences and perceptions.

Physical abuse, emotional abuse, and parental incarceration were the strongest predictors of discrimination experiences (b = 0.160-0.193, p < .001) and perceptions (IRR = 1.393-1.649, p < .001). Cumulative ACEs was positively associated with discrimination experiences (b = 0.066, p < .001) and perceptions (IRR = 1.156, p < .001). Latent class analysis identified three ACE typologies; those within Parental Abuse had higher adult discrimination experiences and perceptions than Low ACE class. Exposure to physical (b = 0.281, p < .001; IRR = 1.655, p < .001) and emotional abuse (b = 0.258, p < .001; IRR = 1.722, p < .001) during early childhood predicted highest discrimination experiences and perceptions.

The study contributes to life course and stress proliferation theories by conceptualizing discrimination as a downstream manifestation of early trauma. Policy and clinical implications emphasize the need for trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive interventions across the life span.