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Adverse childhood experiences and cancer diagnosis
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between ACEs and cancer diagnosis.
METHODS: Data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey were used. The BRFSS is the largest ongoing telephone health survey, conducted in all US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and provides data on a variety of health issues among the non-institutionalized adult population. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to provide adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between ACEs and cancer, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, educational status, marital status, and insurance status.
RESULTS: Respondents who reported 2 ACEs were 71% more likely to have a diagnosis of cancer compared to respondents who did not report ACEs (adjusted OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.08 2.70). However, respondents who reported 1 or ≥3 non-abusive ACEs were 53% and 76% more likely, respectively, to have a diagnosis of cancer compared to respondents who did not report non-abusive ACEs (adjusted OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.07 2.20; adjusted OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.13-2.74).
CONCLUSION: The association between ACEs and cancer maybe attributable to mechanisms in which stressors and trauma during childhood negatively affect health. More research should focus on the impact of non-abusive ACEs and adverse health outcomes.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyPublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Assess the association between adverse childhood experiences and cancer diagnosis
Demonstrate if a graded relationship exists between adverse childhood experiences and cancer
Compare the association between abusive adverse childhood experiences and non-abusive adverse childhood experiences
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have done extensive coursework in my Master of Public Health program at Brown University and in the PhD program in Epidemiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in epidemiologic research methods and biostatistics. I have done previous research on the association between adverse childhood experiences and risky behaviors. I am also the first author on a manuscript under review examining the association between adverse childhood experiences and cancer.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.