Race, gender, and childhood adversity: gender-specific prevalence of ACE exposure among Black Americans

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and have profound negative health impacts across the life course. This study examined childhood adversity prevalence among US non-Hispanic Black adults, with particular attention to gender specific patterns in cumulative risk, individual ACE types and associated sociodemographic factors. DESIGN: We analyzed data from Black adults aged 18 and older who completed the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) questionnaire. Childhood adversity indicators were derived from the ACE Module administered in 21 states. Individual ACE exposures were dichotomized, and we calculated prevalence estimates and cumulative risk scores for Black women and Black men separately. RESULTS: = 0.003). Higher cumulative risk ACE scores were inversely associated with socioeconomic position. CONCLUSIONS: The observed gender differences in childhood adversity prevalence among Black adults likely reflect distinct social and structural risk factors. These differential ACE patterns suggest that pathways to toxic stress exposure may vary by gender within Black communities. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for developing targeted interventions and addressing the structural determinants that contribute to health inequities in communities disproportionately affected by childhood adversity.