| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Public Health,Ghent University,Ghent,Belgium;2.Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO),Brussels,Belgium;3.Dietary Exposure Assessment Group,International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),Lyon,France;4.Department of Movement and Sport Sciences,Ghent University,Ghent,Belgium;5.Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine,University of Bremen,Bremen,Germany;6.Institute for Public Health and Nursing Care Research,University of Bremen,Bremen,Germany;7.Research & Education Institute of Child Health,Strovolos,Cyprus;8.Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Public Health Epidemiology Unit, Sahlgrenska Academy,University of Gothenburg,Gothenburg,Sweden;9.National Institute for Health Development,Tallinn,Estonia;10.National Institute of Health Promotion,University of Pécs, Gyermekklinika,Pécs,Hungary;11.GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) research group, School of Health Sciences,University of Zaragoza,Zaragoza,Spain;12.Department of intercultural communication and management,Copenhagen Business School,Frederiksberg,Denmark;13.Epidemiology & Population Genetics, Institute of Food Sciences,CNR,Avellino,Italy;14.the IDEFICS Consortium,The Netherlands |
| Abstract: | BackgroundChildren are not always recognized as being susceptible to stress, although childhood stressors may originate from multiple events in their everyday surroundings with negative effects on children’s health.MethodsAs there is a lack of large-scale, European prevalence data on childhood adversities, this study presents the prevalence of (1) negative life events and (2) familial and social adversities in 4637 European pre- and primary-school children (4–11 years old), using a parentally-reported questionnaire embedded in the IDEFICS project (‘Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS’).ResultsThe following findings were observed: (1) Certain adversities occur only rarely, while others are very regular (i.e. parental divorce); (2) A large percentage of children is shielded from stressors, while a small group of children is exposed to multiple, accumulating adversities; (3) The prevalence of childhood adversity is influenced by geographical location (e.g. north versus south), age group and sex; (4) Childhood adversities are associated and co-occur, resulting in potential cumulative childhood stress.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the importance of not only studying traumatic events but also of focusing on the early familial and social environment in childhood stress research and indicated the importance of recording or monitoring childhood adversities. |
