Adverse Childhood Experience among Adolescents in the Ethnic Minorities of Lang Son Province

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to investigate the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and associated factors among adolescents of the ethnic minorities of Lang Son province. This cross-sectional research was carried out in Lang Son province. A total of 845 students in boarding schools participated in the study. Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) was used to measure ACEs. Multivariate Logistic Regression was performed to identify associated factors with ACEs. Emotional abuse is the most common ACE, experienced by 21.9% of the participants, followed by emotional neglect at 14.4% and parental divorce at 11%. Overall, 48.7% experienced ACEs in their lifetime. The frequency of parental visits every two months significantly increases the likelihood of adverse experiences (OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.43-4.05, p-value = 0.0009), and living in households with fewer than ten people versus ten or more significantly decreases the risk (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.33-0.70, p-value < 0.0001). Additionally, internet use for 4 hours/day (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.15-0.38, p-value < 0.01), 5 hours/day (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.13-0.51, p-value < 0.01), and six or more hours/day (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.11-0.43, p-value < 0.01) are also significantly associated with lower odds of adverse experiences, suggesting protective effects of extended daily internet use against adverse childhood experiences. This study underscores a significant prevalence of ACEs among adolescents in ethnic minority communities in Lang Son province, pointing to an urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address these challenges.