Maha Almuneef1,2,3, Nathalie ElChoueiry1,2, Hassan Saleheen1,2, Majid Al-Eissa1,2,3. 1. King Abdullah International Medical Research Center and King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 2. National Family Safety Program, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 3. Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Background: Early exposure to violence has deleterious effect on the child's brain development. The aims for this project were to assess the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their impact on social determinants in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A cross-sectional, national study conducted in all regions of SA using the World Health Organization-ACE-International Questionnaire to determine the association between ACEs and socioeconomic outcomes. Results: A total of 10 156 participants completed the questionnaire with five main ACE categories (abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, peer and community violence). Over half of the sample (52%) experienced emotional abuse, followed by physical abuse (42%), bullying (39%), neglect (29%) and sexual abuse (21%). The most common family dysfunction was witnessing domestic violence against any household member (57%) and the least prevalent was living with a substance abuser (9%). Low educational attainment, disruption in marital life and substance abuse were significantly affected by all ACE categories. However, unemployment was marginally affected only by neglect and household dysfunction. Conclusions: ACEs are highly prevalent in SA and have significant negative impact on life opportunities. National preventive programs should be implemented to reduce ACE and their deleterious outcomes.
Background: Early exposure to violence has deleterious effect on the child's brain development. The aims for this project were to assess the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their impact on social determinants in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A cross-sectional, national study conducted in all regions of SA using the World Health Organization-ACE-International Questionnaire to determine the association between ACEs and socioeconomic outcomes. Results: A total of 10 156 participants completed the questionnaire with five main ACE categories (abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, peer and community violence). Over half of the sample (52%) experienced emotional abuse, followed by physical abuse (42%), bullying (39%), neglect (29%) and sexual abuse (21%). The most common family dysfunction was witnessing domestic violence against any household member (57%) and the least prevalent was living with a substance abuser (9%). Low educational attainment, disruption in marital life and substance abuse were significantly affected by all ACE categories. However, unemployment was marginally affected only by neglect and household dysfunction. Conclusions: ACEs are highly prevalent in SA and have significant negative impact on life opportunities. National preventive programs should be implemented to reduce ACE and their deleterious outcomes.
Authors: Kerryann Walsh; Elizabeth Eggins; Lorelei Hine; Ben Mathews; Maureen C Kenny; Sarah Howard; Natasha Ayling; Elizabeth Dallaston; Elizabeth Pink; Dimitrios Vagenas Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2022-07-05
Authors: Maha AlFarhan; Jana AlMelhem; Abeer ElMahadi; Haneen AlTurki; Saleheen Hassan; Maha Almuneef Journal: Saudi Med J Date: 2022-06 Impact factor: 1.422
Authors: Adam Hege; Erin Bouldin; Manan Roy; Maggie Bennett; Peyton Attaway; Kellie Reed-Ashcraft Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-11-18 Impact factor: 3.390