Special issue: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with editors from the journal Child Abuse and Neglect, has released a special journal issue on the measurement of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in low-and middle-income countries. Over half of the papers use data from the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS).

Research shows strong evidence of an association between ACEs and negative health outcomes. Most literature on this topic has focused on high-income countries and relied on data collected from adults. Therefore, there remains a need to understand the epidemiology of ACEs in low- and middle-income countries. This special issue aims to address the literature gaps by:

• Estimating the prevalence of ACEs in selected sub-Saharan African countries and other low- and middle-income countries.
• Highlighting the implications of these ACEs.
• Describing the risk and protective factors for ACEs.
• Understanding associations between experiencing ACEs and mental and physical health outcomes, risk-taking behaviors, and HIV.