Abstract:
Adverse experiences during childhood have a profound effect on adult health. Worldwide, there is growing interest in understanding the influence of early adversity on development of physical and mental disorders across the life course. For the past 15 years this has been a particular focus of researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recently the World Health Organization. The “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACE) study demonstrated clear and possibly causal associations between multiple adversities (such as childhood exposure to domestic violence, family disharmony, sexual abuse, physical maltreatment, bullying and witnessing community violence) and the onset of chronic diseases in adults. This includes respiratory, cardiovascular, autoimmune, endocrine and psychiatric disorders. There are several reasons why this occurs: early life stress increases the risk of unhealthy behaviours; it may cause permanent changes in neuroendocrine regulation; certainly, early adversity lower educational achievement and interpersonal skills, and these in turn limit socio-economic advancement for individuals and their families.
Until recently, most of the evidence has been gathered in economically developed countries. In this paper we discuss the main concepts and review trends in research in Asian countries. In general, the findings are consistent with those worldwide. In Viet Nam, there is a need for further in-depth study to inform policy and community-based programs to minimise the exposure of children to harmful life events.
http://iccchr-hue.org.vn/en/uploads/spaw2/doc/1363142404.nv.pdf
Dunne & Askari. (2012) Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy; Vol. 02-No. 01: (22-27)
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