Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences and association with parenting styles among caregivers of children with behavioral problems
Keywords:
Adverse childhood experiences, Behavioral problems, Caregiver, Cross-sectional studies, Parenting styleAbstract
Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative events occurring before age 18 that can influence health, behavior, and interpersonal functioning into adulthood. These experiences may also shape parenting styles. If caregivers with a history of ACEs display maladaptive parenting, their children may similarly be exposed to adverse experiences, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of ACEs among caregivers of children with behavioral problems receiving care at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, and to examine the association between caregivers’ ACE scores and their parenting styles.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted involving 208 caregivers. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of ACEs. Independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA and multiple logistic regression were applied to analyze the associations between ACE scores and parenting styles.
Result: Among the 208 caregivers, 41 (19.7%) had ACE scores ≥4. The highest distribution was a score of 4 (11.2%), followed by scores of 5 (5.3%), 7 (1.9%), and 6 (1.4%). Caregivers without ACEs were significantly more likely to use an authoritative parenting style (p value 0.009). In contrast, caregivers with ACEs were more likely to adopt authoritarian (p value < 0.001) parenting styles.
Conclusion: The prevalence of significant ACE exposure among caregivers was 19.7%. Caregivers without ACE histories were more likely to employ authoritative parenting, whereas those with ACEs tended to use authoritarian or permissive parenting styles. These findings highlight the potential intergenerational influence of childhood adversity on parenting practices.
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