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Exactly. The technical definition is, in part:

>A traumatic experience in a person’s life occurring before theageof18thatthepersonrecallsasanadult. The ACE score is a measure of cumulative exposure to particular adverse childhood conditions. Exposure to any single ACE condition is counted as one point. Points are then totaled for a final ACE score. It is important to note that the ACE score does not capture the frequency or severity of any given ACE in a person’s life, focusing instead on the number of ACE categories experienced. In addition, the ACE categories used in the ACE study reflect only a select list of experiences

>Note: two categories from the original ACE study, physical and emotional neglect, were not included in the BRFSS survey. In addition, drug and alcohol use by someone living in the home were counted as separate ACEs in the Minnesota BRFSS analysis and not combined into one as in the BRFSS analyses conducted in other state

From page 13

>This study confirms that a majority of Minnesotans are experiencing ACEs in childhood. As in other states, ACEs tend to occur together. This study also confirms that there is an association between the number of ACEs and health and social outcomes so that the more ACEs a person has the greater the effect on physical and mental health and social well-being.

>Table 1 shows the distribution of ACE scores for all Minnesotans and by gender. Table 1 indicates that 21 percent of Minnesotans reported three or more ACEs and 8 percent reported five or more ACEs.

>Consistent with other states’ results, women experience even greater numbers of ACEs. In Minnesota, 57 percent of women and 54 percent of men reported experiencing one or more ACE in childhood. Almost a quarter of women (24 percent) reported experiencing three or more ACEs in childhood compared to 19 percent of men.

> ACEsalsotendtooccurtogether,meaning that those Minnesotans reporting one ACE are more likely to report other ACEs. This is consistent with the ACE findings from other states. Table 2 illustrates that of the 55 percent of Minnesota adults with one ACE, 40 percent have one ACE and 60 percent have two or more ACEs. This graph also shows that among those having at least one ACE, 15 percent have five or more ACEs.

>Table3showstheprevalence of each ACE among Minnesota adults. The three most common ACEs reported by Minnesota adults include emotional abuse with 28 percent of Minnesotans indicating that a parent or adult in their home swore, insulted or put them down in their youth; living with a problem drinker or alcoholic (24 percent); and separation or divorce of a parent (21 percent).

> The results from the Minnesota Student Survey show that differences among racial/ethnic groups have been very consistent over the last 15 years. In every year the survey has been administered since 1995, African American, American Indian and Hispanic 9th graders have been at least twice as likely as White students to report three or more kinds of adverse experiences. In every year, Asian students have been slightly more likely than White students to report three or more adverse experiences.

The pdf is quite short and uses plain language. I encourage anyone interested to read it in full.




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