Adverse Childhood Events and Their Association with Adverse Health Outcomes: A Sacramento County (California) Study

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) may negatively impact mental, emotional, and physical health. The study’s main goal was to understand ACEs and associated adverse health outcomes, specifically focusing on the ACE exposures to Sacramento County residents. Sacramento County was chosen as it includes a big metropolitan community of about 1.5 million people. PubMed was used to identify research articles on the correlation between ACEs and adverse health outcomes during adulthood, and the disparities in healthcare services provided to County residents. Generally, the results demonstrate that ACEs are associated with a range of negative health outcomes. There is a need for interventions to mitigate the adverse impact that ACEs have on the health of both pediatric and adult populations. Studies indicate that County residents have a high probability of experiencing an ACE exposure or a set of circumstances that exacerbate the effect of ACEs. Some examples of ACEs specific to residents include low socioeconomic status or severe economic hardship, medical trauma, household dysfunction, discrimination, hunger, limited resource accessibility, and poor mental health. Despite the incomplete knowledge on ACEs from a biological standpoint, unpredictable range of ACE health outcomes, and non-standardized treatment protocols, data support that ACEs adversely impact the health status of residents, and studies support intervention.