Positive Childhood Experiences May Cut Risk for Adult Health Problems

Positive childhood experiences associated with reduced risk for fair or poor adult physical health, mental health issues

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are independently associated with reduced risks for fair or poor adult health and adult mental health problems, according to a study published online June 20 in Pediatrics.

Cher X. Huang, M.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the associations between PCE score and adult self-rated health or condition diagnosis, with and without adjustment for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

The researchers found that compared with adults with zero to two PCEs, those with five to six PCEs had 75 and 74 percent of the risk for fair/poor overall health and for any psychiatric diagnosis, respectively, independent of ACEs. The annual hazard of developing any adult psychiatric or physical condition was lower in association with reporting five to six PCEs and higher with reporting three or more ACEs in survival analysis models accounting for PCEs and ACEs (hazard ratios, 0.84 and 1.42, respectively).

“Our findings suggest that PCEs play a role in enhancing health resilience, promoting healthy outcomes while also protecting from poor mental and physical health conditions,” the authors write.