ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND THEIR IMPACT ON ADULT POPULATION IN NORTH MACEDONIA: RESULTS FROM PILOT STUDY
Dance GUDEVA NIKOVSKA
Abstract
Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, are a global public health concern due to their profound effects on physical and mental health. Population in North Macedonia face unique challenges from economic deprivation, stigma, and limited mental health services, yet region-specific data on ACEs remain scarce.
Objective: The study’s main objective is to assess the prevalence of ACEs in childhood and their association with the health status and the risk of unhealthy behaviors in adulthood, aimed at informing culturally sensitive interventions and policy.
Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted, on a sample of 741 adults 18+, registered by family doctors in 10 primary healthcare practices in Skopje region, in the period January – June 2023. ACE-IQ instrument was used, structured in 9 groups of questions, including demographic data.
Results: 10.2% respondents reported experiencing 5 or more ACEs in childhood. Men exposed to some types of ACE are significantly more likely to suffer from health problems later in life (general problems, mental health problems, psychological problems, gastrointestinal and bronchopulmonary difficulties) than women. Higher education appears as protective, with respondents with incomplete or completed primary school exposed to ACEs significantly more likely to have health difficulties than those with higher levels of education (secondary and higher).
Conclusions: This review highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate ACEs’ impact on adolescent mental health in North Macedonia. Findings open possibilities for future targeted research that should guide policy to enhance community-based services and reduce stigma, addressing critical research gaps in this understudied region.
Pages: 118 - 125