Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences are a significant health problem with some negative consequences persisting into subsequent generations. One proposed mechanism for this is the influence of ACEs on parenting behavior.
Objective: This study seeks to examine the relationship between a history of ACEs and parenting attitudes and styles.
Participants and Setting: This study investigates the baseline data of the Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE) trial at the University of North Carolina Children’s Primary Care Clinic. 150 parents of 2 to 6 year old children were enrolled.
Methods: Parents filled out questionnaires that assessed ACEs and parenting beliefs and styles. The measures to assess parenting beliefs and styles included the Adult Adolescent Parenting Interview-2 (AAPI-2) and the Parenting Scale. Further data were collected on demographics, depression risk, and resiliency. Regression analyses were used to analyze the relationships.
Results: After adjustment for gender, race, and income, when compared to experiencing zero ACEs, prior exposure to four or more ACEs was associated with lower odds of being high risk for inappropriate parental empathy and oppression of children’s power and independence using the AAPI-2. A history of ACEs was not associated with differences in the parenting scale measures. Experiencing an increasing number of ACEs did not demonstrate increased odds in adopting riskier parenting behaviors in a dose-responsive manner.
Conclusions: These findings contradict previous and expected findings of a positive relationship between number of ACEs and higher risk parenting attitudes and styles. Findings indicate the need to identify additional factors that may moderate the relationship between a history of adversity and parenting beliefs.Master of Public Healt
