Arkansas ranks 48 (2019-2020?)

The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) has released new state fact sheets on ACEs, utilizing 2016‒2017 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and more recent data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study. Arkansas exceeds the national average of children with two or more ACEs ―  27.1% in Arkansas vs. 20.5% nationally. (may want to update) The fact sheet also looks at the effects of ACEs: For example, 39% of children ages 10‒17 in Arkansas with two or more ACEs are overweight or obese, compared to 37.2% nationally. Also, 41.6% of children ages 6‒17 in Arkansas with two or more ACEs are bullied, picked on, or excluded by other children, compared to 34.2% nationally. (The fact sheet link no longer works but we may want to include these statistics on ACEs and obesity, bullying, etc. - would need to check with ACHI for data.

Among adults nationwide, those who had two or more ACEs are three times more likely to have attempted suicide and four times more likely to consider themselves alcoholics than adults who had no ACEs. The odds of those and other problems are considerably higher for adults who had more than two ACEs.

Adapted from: https://achi.net/newsroom/adverse-childhood-events-more-common-for-arkansas-kids/

https://www.cahmi.org/data-in-action/across-states/results?ids=8012^7605^14020

Children 0-17 years who experienced two or more of nine Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs_NSCH)

Nationwide: 19.4% of children met indicator

Range Across States: 14.4% to 28%

Arkansas: 28% - sognificantly higher than U.S. rate

Year not clear on map

Note: This measure was constructed on count of categories of exposure to adverse childhood experiences based on nine items assessed in the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH): very hard to cover the basics, like food or housing, on family's income (somewhat often or very often); parent/guardian divorced or separated; parent/guardian died; parent/guardian served time in jail; child saw or heard physical violence in the home; child was a victim of violence or witnessed neighborhood violence; child lived with anyone who was mentally ill, suicidal, or severely depressed; child lived with anyone who had a problem with alcohol or drugs; and child treated or judged unfairly because of his/her race/ethnicity.

Data Source: Data are based on Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) analysis of the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). All data are weighted to be representative of the nation and each state's population and are adjusted for the complex sampling design. The NSCH is funded and directed by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau https://mchb.hrsa.gov/data/national-surveys.

Citation: Child and Adolescent Health Management Initiative. Across State C omparison US Maps. Retrieved 12/27/21 from www.cahmi.org. 

OR

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/ACEs_8/state/AR

Definition: Percentage of children ages 0-17 who experienced two or more of the following: parental divorce or separation; living with someone who had an alcohol or a drug problem; neighborhood violence victim or witness; living with someone who was mentally ill, suicidal or severely depressed; domestic violence witness; parent served jail time; being treated or judged unfairly due to race/ethnicity; or death of a parent (2-year estimate)

Data Source & Year(s): National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2019-2020

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, Accessed 2021.

U.S. 14.8% (2019-2020); 14.7% (2018-2019)

AR: 22.5% (2019-2020); 24.1% (2018-2019)

Source:: National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

Data description: Percentage of children ages 0-17 who experienced two or more of the following: parental divorce or separation; living with someone who had an alcohol or a drug problem; neighborhood violence victim or witness; living with someone who was mentally ill, suicidal or severely depressed; domestic violence witness; parent served jail time; being treated or judged unfairly due to race/ethnicity; or death of a parent (2-year estimate)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events that may have a lasting impact on children’s health and well-being. Early experiences have a broad and profound impact on an individual’s development and subsequent emotional, cognitive, social and biological functioning. 

The relationship between ACEs and health was first described in a 1998 study, which found a higher number of adverse childhood exposures was associated with a higher number of risk factors for leading causes of death in adults. A recent study found that adults with four or more ACEs (compared with adults with none) was associated with a number of adverse health outcomes including:

• Drug abuse and interpersonal and self-directed violence (very strong associations).
• Sexual risk-taking behaviors, poor mental health and alcohol abuse (strong associations).
• Smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor self-rated health, cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease (moderate associations).
• Physical inactivity, overweight or obesity and diabetes (weak or modest associations). 

There are also socioeconomic challenges, associated with ACEs including not graduating from high school, being unemployed and lacking health insurance. These negative experiences place a great economic burden on families, communities and the society, costing an estimated $748 billion in North America.

Children who live in supportive neighborhoods and whose mother is in very good or excellent health are less likely to experience ACEs. The prevalence of ACEs is higher among:

• Children living in poverty compared with children living above the poverty level. 
• Non-Hispanic Black children, who have a prevalence nearly two times higher than non-Hispanic white children. Hispanic children have the next highest prevalence of two or more ACEs.

From: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/ACEs_8/state/AR

The fact sheet also looks at the effects of ACEs: For example, 39% of children ages 10‒17 in Arkansas with two or more ACEs are overweight or obese, compared to 37.2% nationally. Also, 41.6% of children ages 6‒17 in Arkansas with two or more ACEs are bullied, picked on, or excluded by other children, compared to 34.2% nationally. (The fact sheet link no longer works but we may want to include these statistics on ACEs and obesity, bullying, etc. - would need to check with ACHI for data.

Among adults nationwide, those who had two or more ACEs are three times more likely to have attempted suicide and four times more likely to consider themselves alcoholics than adults who had no ACEs. The odds of those and other problems are considerably higher for adults who had more than two ACEs.

Adapted from: https://achi.net/newsroom/adverse-childhood-events-more-common-for-arkansas-kids/