Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland

Objective We aimed to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diseases in older adults in Japan and Finland.Design Cross-sectional comparative study.Setting Data from a gerontological study in Japan and two public health studies in Finland were evaluated.Participants...

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Main Authors: Jaana Pentti, Jussi Vahtera, Airi Amemiya, Katsunori Kondo, Tuula Oksanen, Takeo Fujiwara, Kokoro Shirai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e024609.full
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author Jaana Pentti
Jussi Vahtera
Airi Amemiya
Katsunori Kondo
Tuula Oksanen
Takeo Fujiwara
Kokoro Shirai
author_facet Jaana Pentti
Jussi Vahtera
Airi Amemiya
Katsunori Kondo
Tuula Oksanen
Takeo Fujiwara
Kokoro Shirai
author_sort Jaana Pentti
collection DOAJ
description Objective We aimed to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diseases in older adults in Japan and Finland.Design Cross-sectional comparative study.Setting Data from a gerontological study in Japan and two public health studies in Finland were evaluated.Participants A total of 13 123 adults (mean age, 69.5 years) from Japan and 10 353 adults (mean age, 64.4 years) from Finland were included in this study. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of each of, any of and the cumulative number of ACEs (parental divorce, fear of a family member and poverty in childhood; treated as ordered categorical variables) with poor self-rated health (SRH), cancer, heart disease or stroke, diabetes mellitus, smoking and body mass index. Models were adjusted for sex, age, education, marital status and working status.Results Of the respondents, 50% of those in Japan and 37% of those in Finland reported having experienced at least one of the measured ACEs. Number of ACEs was associated with poor SRH in both countries, and the point estimates were similar (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.46 in Japan; OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.41 in Finland). Number of ACEs was associated with the prevalence of cancer, heart disease or stroke, diabetes mellitus, current smoking and an increase in body mass index in both countries.Conclusions The association between ACEs and poor SRH, adult diseases and health behaviours was similar among older adults in both Japan and Finland. This international comparative study suggests that the impact of ACEs on health is noteworthy and consistent across cultural and social environments.
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spelling doaj-art-7f8dcddefa1e4475b326bfc7b8ef93f62024-11-25T11:35:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-08-019810.1136/bmjopen-2018-024609Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and FinlandJaana Pentti0Jussi Vahtera1Airi Amemiya2Katsunori Kondo3Tuula Oksanen4Takeo Fujiwara5Kokoro Shirai61 Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandTurku University Hospital, Turku, Finland2 Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanDepartment of Gerontology and Evaluation Study, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi, JapanSchool of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, FinlandDepartment of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, JapanPublic Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, JapanObjective We aimed to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diseases in older adults in Japan and Finland.Design Cross-sectional comparative study.Setting Data from a gerontological study in Japan and two public health studies in Finland were evaluated.Participants A total of 13 123 adults (mean age, 69.5 years) from Japan and 10 353 adults (mean age, 64.4 years) from Finland were included in this study. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of each of, any of and the cumulative number of ACEs (parental divorce, fear of a family member and poverty in childhood; treated as ordered categorical variables) with poor self-rated health (SRH), cancer, heart disease or stroke, diabetes mellitus, smoking and body mass index. Models were adjusted for sex, age, education, marital status and working status.Results Of the respondents, 50% of those in Japan and 37% of those in Finland reported having experienced at least one of the measured ACEs. Number of ACEs was associated with poor SRH in both countries, and the point estimates were similar (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.46 in Japan; OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.41 in Finland). Number of ACEs was associated with the prevalence of cancer, heart disease or stroke, diabetes mellitus, current smoking and an increase in body mass index in both countries.Conclusions The association between ACEs and poor SRH, adult diseases and health behaviours was similar among older adults in both Japan and Finland. This international comparative study suggests that the impact of ACEs on health is noteworthy and consistent across cultural and social environments.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e024609.full
spellingShingle Jaana Pentti
Jussi Vahtera
Airi Amemiya
Katsunori Kondo
Tuula Oksanen
Takeo Fujiwara
Kokoro Shirai
Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
BMJ Open
title Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
title_full Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
title_fullStr Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
title_full_unstemmed Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
title_short Association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults: a comparative cross-sectional study in Japan and Finland
title_sort association between adverse childhood experiences and adult diseases in older adults a comparative cross sectional study in japan and finland
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e024609.full
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