Children with more stressful life experiences have a greater likelihood of suffering from health problems : Ratio of the share of children with three or more frightening or threatening childhood experiences to the share of children with no such childhood experiences who have the condition
| Condition | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Teen pregnancy (girls) | 2.1 |
| Viral infections | 1.7 |
| Eczema | 1.7 |
| Obesity | 1.4 |
| Acute respiratory infections | 1.3 |
| Ear infections | 1.2 |
Notes: Different rows in the figure compare children with different numbers of experiences with children with no experiences.
Different rows in the figure compare children with different numbers of experiences with children with no experiences. For ear infections, acute respiratory infections, eczema, and viral infections: Children in this study were Swedish, and of similar age (10 years) and birth weight. They had been exposed to three or more frightening or threatening experiences. They were compared with similar children who had no frightening or threatening experiences (Karlén et al. 2014, e1454). For obesity: Children in this study were under 21 years old and low-income. They had been exposed to four or more frightening or threatening experiences. They were compared with children of the same gender and similar in age and ethnicity who had had no frightening or threatening experiences (Burke et al. 2011, 411). For teen pregnancy: This study compared girls who had been exposed to three or more frightening or threatening experiences with girls of the same race, age, and education level who had had no frightening or threatening experiences (Hillis et al. 2004, 323).
Sources: Karlén et al. 2015, Table 2; Burke et al. 2011, 411; Hillis et al. 2004, 323.
For ear infections, acute respiratory infections, eczema, viral infections: Jerker Karlén et al., “Early Psychosocial Exposures, Hair Cortisol Levels, and Disease Risk,” Pediatrics 135, no. 6 (2015), e1450–e1457, Table 2, e1454. For obesity: Nadine J. Burke et al., “The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on an Urban Pediatric Population,” Child Abuse and Neglect 35, no. 6 (2011), 408–413, 411. For teen pregnancy: Susan D. Hillis et al., “The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Pregnancy, Long-Term Psychosocial Consequences, and Fetal Death,” Pediatrics 113, no. 2 (2011), 320–327, Table 4, 323.