Prevalence Of Chronic Illness Research Articles

Research progress on the role of -glucan in obesity suppression through the gut microbiota

Abstract. Globally, the prevalence of chronic illnesses is on an upward trajectory. With the number of patients suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, or obesity rising globally. worlds population will be severely affected in their daily lives and work. Metabolic dysregulation caused by obesity can likely lead to a series of metabolic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, while also increasing the risk of neurological disorders such as cerebral infarction or hemorrhage. numerous studies have shown that regulating the gut microbiota through the consumption of -glucan can effectively address obesity from multiple perspectives. Therefore, researching the mechanism by which -glucan affects chronic diseases through its action on the gut microbiota holds significant implications for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Caregiver burden, perceived stress, and social support among parents of chronically Ill children in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundChildren with chronic illnesses pose a significant burden on parents who are directly involved in caregiving. Despite the high prevalence of chronic illnesses among children in Saudi Arabia, no study has examined caregiver burden and other related factors in the Saudi Population. Thus, this study determined the levels of caregiver burden, perceived social support, and perceived stress and their association among parents who provide care to their child with a chronic illness.MethodsA cross-sectional design was used for this study. Data were collected through an online survey using standardized scales from parents who had at least one child suffering from a chronic illness or disability for more than 12 months and requiring continuous medical treatment.ResultsA total of 206 parents reported mild-to-moderate levels of caregiver burden, moderate levels of perceived stress, and high levels of perceived social support. Furthermore, perceived social support was significantly correlated with caregiver burden (rho = − 0.36, p < 0.01) and perceived stress (rho = − 0.45, p < 0.01), and caregiver burden was significantly associated with perceived stress (rho = 0.65, p < 0.01).ConclusionsStudy findings suggest that social support could play a pivotal role in designing intervention programs to mitigate the stress caused by the caregiver burden. This insight underscores the urgent need for policymakers to develop psychosocial interventions and targeted programs for caregivers of children with chronic illnesses.

Is lifestyle different in male partners experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss compared to men fathering a live birth?

Recurrent pregnancy loss is characterized by three or more consecutive pregnancy losses. Although the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss are often unknown, chromosomal defects and fetal anomalies account for a significant proportion of cases. Previous research has primarily focused on maternal factors, but recent attention has shifted to the role of male lifestyle factors. This study examined how male lifestyle factors and chronic illnesses affect recurrent pregnancy loss in a Danish cohort. Objectives included analyzing demographic and clinical features, as well as assessing lifestyle factors and pregnancy outcomes. We included 741 males referred to the Danish recurrent pregnancy loss unit between 2009 and 2021, alongside a control group of 1173 males from the PREGCO study. Data on demography, clinical features, lifestyle factors, and pregnancy outcomes were collected and analyzed. The recurrent pregnancy loss group had a higher mean age compared to the controls. Although there was a trend suggesting a higher prevalence of obesity in the recurrent pregnancy loss group, statistical significance was not reached. The prevalence of chronic illnesses was similar in both groups. In the recurrent pregnancy loss group, a higher body mass index and history of previous or current smoking were associated with a lower pregnancy rate, and men who never smoked had an increased likelihood of achieving pregnancy. However, these associations lost significance after adjusting for potential confounders. The study suggests an association between male obesity and smoking, and decreased pregnancy rates after referral for recurrent pregnancy loss. However, further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and establish causality in this association. The study reveals potential associations between male smoking, male obesity, and reduced pregnancy rates in individuals referred for recurrent pregnancy loss. These findings emphasize the importance of considering male lifestyle factors in the evaluation and management of recurrent pregnancy loss.

Impact of Lifestyle and Demographic Factors on Diabetes-Associated Complications; A Cross-Sectional Study

Globally, the prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a leading cause of death and morbidity, is rising, adults with DM have the highest prevalence of chronic illness. This study pursuits to assess and evaluate the impact of life style and demographic factors that aggravates the diabetic complications. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was carried out in adult diabetic patients. The study was a nationally based study in Lahore, Pakistan, target population was Medical OPDs and Diabetic Care centers. Participants includes both gender with age 20 year to 70 years who’s diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The study variables include the demographic information, patient assessment, regarding the life style, face to face interview through self-structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurement were taken from every participant (weight, height). SPSS version 20.0 was used for data analysis. Results: The sample of this study consisted of 189 (51.1%) females and 181(48.9%) male respondents (N=370). The descriptive Statistics of gender of respondents giving standard deviation of 0.501 and variance of 0.251. As all the respondents are diabetic patients so while cross tabulating the gender with Obese scale 167 of the total population fall in normal weight scale, 110 are categorized as overweight and 33 as obese. The people with good knowledge about their life style impact on Diabetes complications were relatively less affected. Conclusions: The findings alert the medical practitioner informed the patients about the significance of impact of sedentary lifestyle on diabetic’s complications. Regular screening for diabetic patient is necessary for the early detection of complications by skilled health professionals.

Perspectives of older adults with chronic illness on person-centered practice at an inpatient hospital department: a descriptive study

BackgroundThe growing aging trend associated with a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses is increasing the demand for the development of person-centered practice in specific care settings. Knowing the person’s perception of the care and the care experience is essential to improving inpatient care toward person-centeredness. This study aims to characterize the perceptions of person-centered practice of hospitalized older adults with chronic illness at a Portuguese inpatient hospital department.MethodsA quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional approach was followed. Data were collected using a sociodemographic and health history questionnaire and the Person-Centered Practice Inventory - Care (PCPI-C). The effect of the different variables on each PCPI-C construct was determined using analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsThe results show that person-centered practice was positively perceived in the five constructs of the person-centered processes domain (M = 3.92; SD = 0.47). The highest-scored construct was working with the person’s beliefs and values (M = 4.12; SD = 0.51), and the lowest was working holistically (M = 3.68; SD = 0.70). No significant effect of the independent variables was found to influence the perceptions of any of the constructs in the person-centered processes domain.ConclusionsThese results might indicate that person-centered processes are perceived uniquely by each person through individualized therapeutic relationships rather than a pattern of care shared by hospitalized older adults.

Associations Between Social Determinants of Health and Outcomes of Chronic Medical Conditions.

Social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, can significantly impact patient welfare, potentially increasing the prevalence of chronic illnesses while hindering their management, as shown in previous data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This study aimed to investigate the association between food insecurity and other social determinants of health with hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and hypertension. To that end, self-reported data on food security from clinical encounters and biological data from medical records were collected. This study utilized electronic medical record data from 349 patients aged between 18 and 85 years who answered two standard food insecurity screening questions. Each patient's current diagnoses and lab values, including blood pressure, fasting low-densitylipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), were then collected. Among patients facing food insecurity (n = 48), 55% were diagnosed with hypertension (p = 0.019), 45% with hyperlipidemia, and 27% with T2DM (p = 0.005). By comparison, these values for food-secure patients were 39%, 54%, and 13%, respectively (n = 301, p > 0.05). Regarding control of these chronic illnesses, hypertension (defined as blood pressure >135/85 mmHg per American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) guidelines) was observed in 12% of food-secure patients (n = 301, p > 0.05) and 42% of food-insecure patients (n = 48, p = 0.0204), whereas differences in control of hyperlipidemia and T2DM were insignificant. These results suggest that food-insecure patients are more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension and T2DM but are less likely than food-secure patients to be diagnosed with hyperlipidemia. Consistent with previous research, this study highlights the potentially increased health risks for patients experiencing food insecurity and calls for further efforts to screen patients for social determinants of health.

Awareness of Antibiotic Misuse in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Among Adults in the Bisha Governorate in 2024.

Antibiotics are targeted to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria and have no effect on viral agents. Unfortunately,viruses cause about 80% of respiratory tract infections, and up to 75% of antibiotics are prescribed for URTIs. Overuse of antibiotics is linked to a number of issues, including the emergence of antibacterial resistance, an increase in the prevalence of chronic illnesses, a rise in the expense of healthcare services, and the emergence of side effects. This study aimed to assess the awareness of antibioticmisuse for URTIs among adults in the Bisha governorate in 2024. A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Bisha governorate among the adult population. Data was collected using an online standardized self-administered adapted questionnaire. The questions vary from multiple choice to Likert scale questions, and each question has 2 points. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY). The response rate was about 85.3% (721/845). The ages of the participants ranged between 18 and75 years. There were 360 (49.9%)male respondents and 361 (50.1%) female respondents. The study revealed that 83.1% (599) of the participants have poor awareness of antibioticmisuse in URTIs. Knowledge of antibioticmisuse consequences was poor at 66.7% (481). There was a significant difference observed between the residents of Bisha city compared to the residents of Bisha villages in total knowledge level about antibiotic misuse in URTIs (p = 0.030). The population of the Bisha governorate has a poor knowledge of antibiotic misuse in URTIs. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase the knowledge and awareness of the general public about the problem.

Deep learning for personalized health monitoring and prediction: A review

AbstractPersonalized health monitoring and prediction are indispensable in advancing healthcare delivery, particularly amidst the escalating prevalence of chronic illnesses and the aging population. Deep learning (DL) stands out as a promising avenue for crafting personalized health monitoring systems adept at forecasting health outcomes with precision and efficiency. As personal health data becomes increasingly accessible, DL‐based methodologies offer a compelling strategy for enhancing healthcare provision through accurate and timely prognostications of health conditions. This article offers a comprehensive examination of recent advancements in employing DL for personalized health monitoring and prediction. It summarizes a diverse range of DL architectures and their practical implementations across various realms, such as wearable technologies, electronic health records (EHRs), and data accumulated from social media platforms. Moreover, it elucidates the obstacles encountered and outlines future directions in leveraging DL for personalized health monitoring, thereby furnishing invaluable insights into the immense potential of DL in this domain.

Revolutionizing Disease Prediction with Deep Learning and Predictive Analysis

Abstract: The increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, including diabetes-related conditions and heart disease, poses a challenge to international healthcare systems. Reducing the detrimental effects of chronic disorders on patient outcomes requires early detection and treatment. This study investigates the possible uses of deep learning and predictive analysis in illness forecasting, with an emphasis on diabetes and heart disease specifically. Strict preparation methods were used, making use of a substantial dataset from the reference dataset source, to guarantee data quality. List-specific models and architectures were used for training and validation in order to assess how well different deep learning models performed in the prediction of sickness. The results show the potential of the suggested technique in the early diagnosis of sickness. They contain notable findings and promising performance metrics. By providing insight into the feasibility and efficacy of deep learning models for the prognosis of diabetes and heart-related illnesses, this work contributes to the expanding corpus of knowledge in healthcare analytics.

Self-medication in older adults: An important yet challenging issue

The elderly stage is a vulnerable phase in the human lifespan, wherein individuals face potential risks such as a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and a lack of social assistance. Moreover, due to physical and mental limitations, their personal autonomy is often jeopardized in various circumstances [1]. Older adults may independently take medications due to existing physical and mental health conditions. Self-medication is a significant aspect of self-care practices and a key topic in healthcare discussions [2]. Self-medication is a behavior in which a person tries to fix his illness or health problem without the help and opinion of professionals. Self-medication can be done by consuming an industrial or handmade drug, obtaining drugs without a specialist's prescription, using prescribed drugs in similar cases, dividing prescribed drugs for a person among family members and acquaintances, using additional and remaining drugs at home, refraining from taking the original prescribed medicine, whether it is done by taking extra medicine without a doctor's prescription or not taking the medicine completely [3].

Longevity, Chronic Conditions and Ageing Dynamics: A Mathematical Reliability Perspective. Review

Background: Understanding the relationship between ageing and chronic diseases becomes crucial as global demographics shift towards an increasingly aged population. Aim: The primary objective of this review is to explore various theories of ageing and their implications for chronic disease prevalence in ageing populations. Methods: The study design entailed a comprehensive literature search to collect pertinent papers and theories on ageing, chronic diseases, and dependability theory. Various databases were employed to ascertain crucial insights and discoveries in this domain. Results: The review emphasises the complex and diverse factors involved in the ageing process and its connection to chronic diseases. We highlight the harmful effects of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour on the health of older individuals. Moreover, we emphasise the importance of dependability theory in comprehending the development and progression of chronic health conditions among ageing populations. Conclusion: Increasing chronic illness prevalence in the ageing population is both a problem and a possibility for adequate care. Integrating reliability theory into comprehensive approaches may help us understand age-related chronic illnesses and create effective preventative measures. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: Ageing; Chronic diseases; Health span; Mathematical reliability theory; Population ageing; Preventive strategies

Chronic Illnesses and Depression among Community-based Adolescents in Rural Haryana, India.

Evidence on the association of chronic illnesses with depression among adolescents in the Indian community setting is limited. A simple random sample of 583 adolescents, comprising 56.6% of boys and 43.4% of girls, were interviewed on home visits. Self-reports on chronic illnesses were elicited, followed by administration of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) questionnaire to screen for depression, and for confirmation of diagnosis by age-appropriate Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kid), or MINI. The prevalence of chronic illnesses was 8.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.3-11.0). Of these participants, 42.8% screened positive for depression. The prevalence of depression was 10.2% (95% CI: 3.4-22.2) among adolescents with chronic illness. The prevalence of physical-mental multimorbidity was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.3-2.0). The presence of chronic illness was associated with depression identified using both PHQ-9 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =3.1 [95% CI: 1.7-5.8], P < 0.001) and MINI Kid/MINI (AOR = 3.2 [95% CI: 1.1-9.4], P = 0.037). Adolescents with chronic illnesses can be targeted for mental morbidity screening in a bid to improve functional outcomes.

Nutritional, functional and sensory evaluation of flaxseed-enriched cupcakes

Purpose: Snacking is quite a common preference in this busy world. Increasing the availability of healthier snack alternatives might help consumers view snacks as foods that support health. &#x0D; Design/Methodology/Approach: The current experimental study aimed to determine the nutritional, functional and sensory properties of home-baked cupcakes encouraged with six variants with indigenous flaxseed flour (FF) and flaxseed oil (FO) in 10, 15 and 30% of batter substitution. A one-way ANOVA, least significant difference and Pearson’s correlation were applied using IBM SPSS version 21.0.&#x0D; Findings: Proximate analysis indicated an increase in ash, fiber and protein contents as compared to the standard formulation. The highest ash (1.91±0.26%), fiber (1.09±0.01%) and protein contents (3.08±0.30%) were observed in the sample FF30 (30% flaxseed flour). The cupcakes with 30% flaxseed oil had a significantly greater fat content (35.91±0.55%) and hence a total calorie value of 221.00±3.17%. Antioxidant activity and phenol content of fortified cupcakes ranged from 32.88–76.02% and 22–80 mgGAE/100 gms respectively. The sensory evaluation proved FF15 and FO30 to be the most acceptable recipes.&#x0D; Conclusion: Minor recipe alterations to snacks may yield large and long-term health benefits especially promoting immunity and reducing the risk of inflammatory chronic illnesses. Flaxseed oil might be used in snacks substituting for other vegetable oils to enhance the essential fatty acid content without compromising its acceptability. New formulations could therefore be tested to develop foods fortified with higher proportions of functional and nutritious ingredients especially given the ever-increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses.

Prognostication Tools in Older Hospitalized Adults for Identification of Patients with Potential Palliative Care Needs: A Review of Three Instruments

This paper explores the critical role of prognostication tools in identifying high-risk hospitalized older adults who may benefit from palliative care. With an ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, the demand for patient-centered healthcare is paramount. The study evaluates three key tools—the Palliative Performance Scale, CARING criteria, and Palliative Care Rapid Emergency Screening tool. Each tool is analyzed for its psychometric properties, advantages, and limitations. Despite their strengths and limitations, these tools emerge as crucial screening tools for identifying older adults at heightened mortality risk within one year of hospital admission. Our paper calls for ongoing research to adapt and validate existing tools, ensuring their applicability across diverse clinical settings and patient populations.

Navigation programs to support community-dwelling individuals with life-limiting illness: determinants of implementation

BackgroundAs the Canadian population ages and the prevalence of chronic illnesses increases, delivering high-quality care to individuals with advanced life limiting illnesses becomes more challenging. Community-based navigation programs are a promising approach to address these challenges, but little is known about how these programs are successfully implemented to meet the needs of this population. This study sought to identify the key determinants that contribute to the successful implementation of these programs within Canada.MethodsA qualitative study was undertaken to understand the implementation of eleven innovative, community-based navigation programs that aim to address the needs of individuals with life-limiting illnesses as they approach the end of life. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided the study design. Key informants (n = 23) within these programs took part in semi-structured interviews where they were asked to discuss how these programs are implemented. Data were analyzed using techniques employed in qualitative description.ResultsWe identified key determinants of successful implementation within each CFIR domain. In the outer setting domain, participants emphasized the importance of filling gaps in care to meet client needs, developing strong relationships with clients and community-based organizations, and navigating relationships with healthcare providers. At the inner setting level, leadership support, staff compatibility, and available resources were identified as important factors. In terms of intervention characteristics, the ability to adapt was cited as a facilitator, whereas costs were identified as a barrier. For the characteristics of individuals, participants described the importance of having staff whose values align with the program, and who have the experience and skills necessary to work with complex clients. Finally, having strong champions and evaluation processes were highlighted as important process-oriented determinants of successful implementation.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights into the determinants of successful implementation of community-based navigation programs in Canada. Understanding these determinants can guide the future development and integration of navigation programs to successfully meet the needs of those with life-limiting illnesses.

Junk Food Consumption Causing Obesity Pandemic in India

In terms of epidemiology, demographics, and dietary habits, India is undergoing several changes. The startlingly high rates of childhood undernutrition in India, together with the rapidly rising prevalence of chronic illnesses and their risk factors, like obesity and overweight, across all social classes, are making the country's health issues worse. Obesity has emerged as a major public health concern affecting individuals of all ages. India is reportedly ranked third (just behind US and China) among nations with the highest rates of obesity. In this paper we study and analyse the trends in obesity in India and examine the leading cause for such concerning rise in obesity in the nation. This will help government formulate the policy responses appropriately to tame the rising trend in obesity and to confer to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Artificial Intelligence and Street Space Optimization in Green Cities: New Evidence from China

In the context of the green economy and sustainable urban development, the rapid expansion of urban construction has given rise to pressing public health concerns, notably environmental pollution and the increased prevalence of chronic illnesses linked to swift urbanization. These urban health issues are escalating, prompting significant attention to the concept of creating “healthy cities”. Meanwhile, the planning and design of urban street space have a far-reaching impact on urban residents’ quality of life and health. Urban planners are facing challenges and need to follow the principle of a green economy while meeting the needs of residents for public activities and adapting to motor vehicle traffic. This study explores the optimization of urban street space to promote the harmonious coexistence between people and cars. This study actively explores the relationship between health, urban environment, and social background, focusing on promoting the harmonious coexistence between people and vehicles, especially the optimization goal of sharing urban streets. The study’s main goal is to design a road that can meet the needs of citizens’ public activities and accommodate motor vehicles, which conforms to the principle of a green economy. To achieve this, geographic information system (GIS) technology and a genetic algorithm (GA) are employed to optimize shared urban street spaces. Among them, GIS tools are used for spatial simulation to evaluate the effect of different shared street space configurations. The urban shared street space is gradually optimized through GA’s selection, crossover, and mutation operations. Simulation experiments are conducted to determine the relationship between street space utilization and the elements of a healthy city, ultimately striving to identify the optimal design parameters for shared street spaces. The research results reveal that the urban street space is optimized from the three aspects of shared allocation of facilities resources, replacement of land use functions, and mixed layout of facilities, and the utilization rate of urban streets is finally ensured to reach 53.43%, fully assuming the essential functions of urban streets. This innovative approach bridges the gap between urban development and public health, offering valuable insights for sustainable urban space planning and enhanced living environments within the framework of the green economy.

Enriching Lives: Geriatricians' Mission of Supportive Care for Older Persons.

The growing older population, the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, and the pressing need to enhance the quality of end-of-life care have underscored the importance for geriatricians to focus on supportive and palliative measures. Within this context, the emphasis on delivering comprehensive and person-centered care has become crucial, ensuring that individuals not only receive medical treatment but also experience comfort during chronic illness and in their final days. Nevertheless, a significant number of older individuals often find themselves in hospitals during their last moments, sometimes undergoing aggressive medical interventions even when facing terminal conditions. The challenge lies in the early recognition of the end-of-life phase, initiating timely supportive and palliative care in conjunction with conventional treatments, adopting a multidisciplinary approach, and providing crucial support to grieving family members. Despite being a relatively recent field, geriatric palliative care (GPC) still requires further development. With this perspective, I aimed to shed light on the challenges and best practices for enhancing care for individuals facing chronic critical illnesses and frailty.

Challenges in Palliative Care Provision in Ethiopia: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

The prevalence of chronic illnesses is increasing at an alarming rate in Ethiopia. However, the existing palliative care service is not adequate to address the palliative care need of the patients and their families. This demands the need to explore, among other things, the challenges in palliative care provision. Thus, this article aimed to examine the challenges of palliative care provision in Ethiopia. The study considered Ethiopia as a case and examined the topic using a qualitative exploratory design. The data used in the study were collected through 29 in-depth interviews and 5 focus group discussions with health professionals and other stakeholders and analyzed using thematic analysis technique with ATLAS-ti 7.0 computer software. This study explored patient-related, provider-related, health system-related and partnership-related challenges/gaps in palliative care in Ethiopia. Patient-related factors include, delay in seeking medical care, lack of awareness of disease conditions, discontinuation of treatment due to inability to pay, a lack of follow-up care by considering cancer diagnosis as end of life/death and preferring dying at home. Provider-related challenges include lack of awareness of palliative care, lack of pre-service/in-service training for health professionals, absence of palliative care in the curricula of health programs and scarcity of research information on palliative care in Ethiopia. Health-system challenges include lack of drug, reagent shortage, limited chemotherapy and radiotherapy services, and weak facility-community linkage. Finally, lack of collaborators between governmental and non-governmental organizations was seen as a challenge to the provision of palliative care in Ethiopia. The study revealed that the challenges to palliative care provision in Ethiopia include patient-related factors, provider-related factors, health facility-related factors and partnership-related factors. Therefore, it is vital to take these challenges into account in order to improve the current palliative care service provision in Ethiopia.

Assessment of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the South Bronx on the Risk of Developing Chronic Disease as Adults.

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a negative impact on health outcomes. Using a cross-sectional study design, our objective was to identify the prevalence of ACEs among residents of South Bronx and the increased relationship between such childhood stressors and the prevalence of both chronic disease and modifiable high-risk behavior in adulthood. Methods We recruited patients from a hospital-based, adult primary care clinic in the metropolitan area of the South Bronx. A prospectively designed, observational study recruited patients in a consecutive fashion to conduct a cross-sectional survey between September 2017 and January 2018. The demographic representation comprises a low socioeconomic sector of urban New York City, with low education and immigrant population. A modified ACE questionnairethat included nine ACE categories (Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Household Substance Abuse, Separation from Parents, Incarcerated Household Member, Parental Separation/Divorce, and Bullying)in addition to questions on demographics, high-risk behavior, and diagnosis of chronic disease. Our primary objective was to gather the incidence of ACEs organized by domains. Secondary objectives were to demonstrate any expected increase (as odds ratios (ORs)) in chronic disease or maladaptive social habits when compared to patients with no ACEs within the cohort. The ORfor the associations was calculated with logistic regression. Individual logistic regression models for each chronic disease, high-risk behavior, and demographics were used to measure the exposure response of the nine ACE categories. Results A total of 454 patients completed the survey. The average age was 53.1±14.2 years, and females were 49% of the sample. Hispanics were at 61% followed by Blacks at 34%. Participants reported high-risk behavior at 24%, had a high prevalence of chronic illness (82%), and had ACE events at 70%. We found a significant relationship between ACE events and having a chronic disease diagnosis and engagement in high-risk behavior with higher odds of reporting chronic illnesses among participants with exposure to childhood stressors (OR 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.1-1.5, p=0.002). Of the nine ACE categories, many were independently associated with one or more chronic diseases in adulthood. Conclusion According to our survey data, ACE events in our patient population were more prevalent (30% with four or more exposures), higher than the proposed average of one out of six Americans with four or more exposures nationally according tonational statistics. These childhood stressors appeared to have a strong association with the development of high-risk behavior and chronic illnesses.