Associations of adverse and positive childhood experiences with adult socioeconomic well-being in Japan

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) have been suggested to lessen the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on later health outcomes. However, research is limited on whether PCEs modify the association between ACEs and socioeconomic well-being. Hence, this study examined whether PCEs modify the association between ACEs and adults’ poor socioeconomic well-being. Data were collected from a cross-sectional postal survey conducted across Japan in 2023. The survey involved Japanese adults, aged 20–79 years (n = 11,944; 52.5% female, 47.5% male; mean age = 55.3 years). In multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for ACEs and covariates, higher PCEs were associated with lower risks of high school non-completion, poverty, unemployment, and lack of social support, consistent with a compensatory pattern. A statistically significant interaction between ACEs and PCEs was observed only for social support, consistent with a buffering pattern. These findings indicate that PCEs are generally associated with better socioeconomic outcomes in adult life and are linked to buffering against ACE-related disadvantage specifically in the domain of social relationships.