Adverse childhood experiences of Korean mothers with young children: a latent class analysis

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have negative impacts on women with children, including psychosocial and general health problems. However, there is limited research investigating ACEs identifying the characteristics of distinct subgroups according to the frequency of ACEs.Objective: Utilizing the national dataset of the Family with Children Life Experience 2017, this study aimed to classify patterns of ACEs based on the total number of types of ACEs and the types of predominant events, and to examine differences in general and psychological characteristics, as well as experiences of violence in adulthood among the classes identified.Method: A total of 460 Korean mothers raising infants or toddlers participated. Latent class analysis was performed to classify the patterns of ACEs, while t-tests and Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in general and psychological characteristics and experiences of violence between the ACEs subgroups.Results: The participants were classified into two subgroups: the 'high-ACEs group' and the 'low-ACEs group'. The high-ACEs group exhibited higher rates of child abuse, workplace violence perpetration and victimization, as well as lower self-esteem, higher depression levels, and increased suicidal thoughts compared to those of the low-ACEs group.Conclusion: The findings highlight the significant role of ACEs on the formation of an individual's psychological characteristics and their propensity to experience additional violence even into adulthood, as perpetrators and as victims. It is noteworthy how the influence of ACEs extends across generations through child abuse. These findings offer insights for developing interventions aimed at mitigating the negative effects of experiences of violence on mothers raising young children. Two distinct subgroups were identified according to the frequency of ACEs: the 'high-ACEs group' and the 'low-ACEs group'.Compared to those of the low-ACEs group, the high-ACEs group presented higher rates of child abuse, workplace violence perpetration and victimization, lower self-esteem, higher depression levels, and increased suicidal thoughts.The low self-esteem induced by ACEs may contribute to the amplification of psychological vulnerabilities and the occurrence of additional violent experiences even in adulthood. Antecedentes: Las experiencias adversas en la infancia (ACEs, por sus siglas en ingl & eacute;s) tienen impactos negativos en las mujeres con hijos, incluyendo problemas psicosociales y de salud general. Sin embargo, hay estudios limitados que investiguen las ACEs que identifiquen las caracter & iacute;sticas de distintos subgrupos seg & uacute;n la frecuencia de las ACEs.Objetivo: Utilizando la base de datos nacional de Experiencias de vida de Familias con ni & ntilde;os 2017, este estudio tuvo como objetivo clasificar los patrones de ACEs bas & aacute;ndose en el n & uacute;mero total de tipos de ACEs y los tipos de eventos predominantes, examinando las diferencias en las caracter & iacute;sticas generales y psicol & oacute;gicas, as & iacute; como las experiencias de violencia en la adultez entre las clases identificadas.M & eacute;todo: Un total de 460 madres coreanas que cr & iacute;an a bebes o ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os participaron en el estudio. Se realiz & oacute; un an & aacute;lisis de clases latentes para clasificar los patrones de ACEs.Resultados: Las participantes fueron clasificados en dos subgrupos: el 'grupo de ACEs de alto nivel' y el 'grupo de ACEs de bajo nivel'. El grupo de ACEs de alto nivel mostr & oacute; tasas m & aacute;s elevadas de abuso infantil, perpetraci & oacute;n y victimizaci & oacute;n en el lugar de trabajo, as & iacute; como menor autoestima, mayores niveles de depresi & oacute;n y un aumento de pensamientos suicidas comparados con el grupo de ACEs de bajo nivel.Conclusi & oacute;n: Los hallazgos destacan el papel significativo de las ACEs en la formaci & oacute;n de las caracter & iacute;sticas psicol & oacute;gicas de un individuo y su propensi & oacute;n a experimentar violencia adicional incluso en la adultez, tanto como perpetradores como v & iacute;ctimas. Es notable c & oacute;mo la influencia de las ACEs se extiende a trav & eacute;s de las generaciones a trav & eacute;s del abuso infantil. Estos hallazgos ofrecen perspectivas valiosas para desarrollar intervenciones orientadas a mitigar los efectos negativos de las experiencias de violencia en madres que cr & iacute;an a ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os.