Adverse childhood experiences and bodily pain at 10 years of age: Findings from the Generation XXI cohort

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 128; p. 105620
• Main Authors: Abrahamyan, Armine, Lucas, Raquel, Soares, Sara, Talih, Makram, Fraga, Sílvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescents; Adverse childhood experiences; Adversity; Child-reported; Childhood experiences; Childhood factors; Children; Cross-sectional studies; Embodiment; Intensity of pain; Interviews; Multisite pain; Pain; Pediatric pain; Peer relationships; Prospective study; Sociodemographics; Young adults; Multisite pain; Adversity; Intensity of pain; Pediatric pain; Prospective study; Child-reported
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105620

Youth and young adults with pain conditions report having a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) more frequently than their healthy peers. The relationship between ACEs and pain before adolescence in population-based settings is not extensively researched. To examine the association between the history of ACEs and bodily pain at 10 years of age. Cross-sectional analysis of 4738 participants of Generation XXI population-based birth cohort, recruited in 2005–06 in Porto, Portugal. Study includes self-reported data on ACEs exposures and bodily pain (pain presence, sites, and intensity a week prior to the interview). Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses to estimate the likelihood of various pain features according to the extent of exposure to ACEs (i.e., 0 ACEs, 1–3 ACEs, 4–5 ACEs, and ≥ 6 ACEs). Prevalence of pain, multisite, and high-intensity pain a week prior to the interview increased with increasing exposure to ACEs. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, children who had experienced ≥6 ACEs were more likely to report pain [AOR 3.18 (95% CI 2.19, 4.74)], multisite pain [AOR 2.45 (95% CI 1.37, 4.40)], and high-intensity pain [AOR 4.27 (95% CI 2.56, 7.12)] compared with children with no ACEs. A dose-response association was observed between the cumulative number of ACEs and reports of pain in 10-year-old children, suggesting that embodiment of ACEs starts as early as childhood and that pain related to ACEs begins earlier than previously reported. •One third of children reported experiencing pain a week prior to the interview.•Pain experiences in children varied according to increasing exposure to ACEs.•ACEs predicted the report of adverse pain experiences at 10 years of age.•ACE-related pain begins earlier than previously reported.