The Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience With Health Outcomes in Adolescents: An Observational Study

• Main Authors: Ashleigh Hall DO, Alberly Perez BA, Xandria West BA, Maryilyn Brown BA, Ella Kim BS, Zainab Salih, Stephen Aronoff MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-02-01
• Series: Global Pediatric Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X20982433

The relationship between Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resilience, and health outcomes has not been as thoroughly studied in adolescents. Adolescents completed the ACEs Questionnaire and a validated resilience measure (Child Youth Resilience Measure, or CYRM). Poor health outcome was having 1 or more: obesity, hypertension, and/or depression. 34.5% of teens had a poor health outcome, 38.6% had ACE scores of 4 or more, and resilience ranged from 45 to 84 (mean = 74.6). By univariate and bivariate analysis, ACEs (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.03-1.19, P  = .0039; OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.0-1.16, P  = .045) and resilience (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.92-0.98, P  = .0016; OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93-0.99, P  = .016) were significantly associated with poor health outcome. Resilience relationship subscale was significantly associated with reduced health risk (OR = 0.85, 95%CI = 0.75-0.95, P  = .005). ACEs are associated with poor health outcomes in adolescents, resilience is inversely related, and the caregiver relationship may be the driving force.