ACE Study
Adverse Childhood Experience
About the Study
The initial phase of the ACE study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997, and more than 17,000 participants had a standardised physical examination. No further participants will be enrolled, but they are tracking the medical status of the baseline participants.
Each study participant completed a confidentiality survey that contained questions about childhood maltreatment and family dysfunction, as well as items detailing their current health status and behaviour. This information was combined with the results of their physical examination to form the baseline data for the study.
The prospective phase of the ACE study is currently underway, and will access the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, health care use, and cause of death.
International Interest
International interest in replications of the Ace study is growing. At present we are aware of efforts to replicate the Ace study or use its questionnaire in Canada, China, Jordan, Norway, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. In Puerto Rico, the link between women’s cardiovascular health risks and ACEs has been examined.
The World Health Organisation has included the Ace study questionnaires as an addendum to the document Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Guide to Taking Action and Generating Evidence.
Additionally, efforts are underway in many municipalities and treatment communities to apply ACE Study findings to improve the health of adult survivors.
In 2010, five US states collected ACE information on the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).