Abstract
BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have long been associated with health risk behaviors, but they are poorly studied in Brazilian university students. ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of ACEs and investigate their association with sociodemographic data, health risk factors and self-related health in a sample of university students. Participants and settingA cross-sectional study conducted with 546 students from a Brazilian public university. MethodThe self-reported 10-ACE Study questionnaire (ACE-Q) and sociodemographic information (age, sex, family income), health risk factors (body mass index, physical exercise, alcohol and tobacco use) and self-related health were assessed. Chi-square Test and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between the cumulative occurrence of ACE (ACE ≥4) and the studied factors. ResultsOf the 546 participants, 464 responded to all ACE-Q questions; 74.4% reported at least one ACE, and 13.1 % reported four or more. Lower family income (OR = 2.02; 95%CI = 1.13–3.61; p = 0.01) and self-related poor health (OR = 2.29; 95%CI = 1.28–4.08; p = 0.00) were associated with the occurrence of ACE ≥4. ConclusionMost students reported at least one ACE, while a minority reported ≥4 ACEs associated with lower family income and poor self-health. The data suggest that preventive actions should be considered to mitigate the problem, with lower-income students being treated as a priority.
Published Version
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