Abstract
A rising concern is the COVID-19 pandemic effect on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) due to increased parental stress and social/physical isolation. These pandemic effects are likely to be higher in already marginalized communities. The objective of this ecological study was to examine the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths, race/ethnicity, and the estimated number of adults with ACEs using data from South Carolina (SC). COVID-19 reported cases and death data were obtained from the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. ACE data was used from the 2014–2016 SC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Census data were used to obtain county population data. To measure the relationship between these variables, the Spearman rank-order correlation test was used because the data distribution was non-normal. There was a moderate relationship between the estimated number of adults with one or more ACEs and deaths (ρ = 0.89) and race/ethnicity-specific COVID-19 case counts by county (Black: ρ = 0.76; =White: ρ = 0.96; Hispanic: ρ = 0.89). Further, the Spearman correlation test showed the strongest relationship between COVID-19 deaths and race-ethnicity-specific county populations was with the Black adult population (ρ = 0.90). Given the known link between existing health inequities and exposure to COVID-19, these results demonstrate that the current pandemic could have unintended consequences on the well-being of children and caregivers. Response efforts should consider promoting protective factors for children and families and advocating for equitable policies and systems that serve children.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on United States (US) populations
This ecological study shows that there is a potential relationship between reporting adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and COVID-19 cases and deaths, for Black adults in South Carolina
Given the link between [1] structural racism and public health disparities, [2] COVID-19 and family stress, and [3] family stress and childhood adversity, these results suggest that the current pandemic may exacerbate the impact of ACEs for adults
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on United States (US) populations. In addition to facing health impacts from the virus itself, increasing family stress and adversity related to the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting children’s health. Initial studies suggest that the illness presents milder symptoms in children compared to adults [1, 2]. Despite this knowledge, there are growing concerns about the unintended consequences of COVID-19 on children’s health and well-being as schools and afterschool activities remained closed, parents/caregivers navigate new stressors, and health care systems are stretched beyond capacity. Child welfare systems across the country have seen a reduction in child maltreatment rates and an increase in child abuse injuries [3] This may be due to children being socially and physically isolated from adults who are likely to be mandated reporters. Due to lost wages associated with the closure of businesses, families that may have already faced financial hardship could be facing challenges in providing basic needs for their children which could lead to a stressful, unsafe environments
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