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cliot (version 1.0.0)

ace_score: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Score

Description

Calculates the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Score based on the 10-item survey from the CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Study. The score sums the number of categories of adverse experiences reported during the first 18 years of life. Higher scores are strongly correlated with negative health and behavioral outcomes later in life.

Usage

ace_score(emotional_abuse, physical_abuse, sexual_abuse, emotional_neglect,
          physical_neglect, divorce_separation, domestic_violence,
          substance_abuse, mental_illness, incarcerated_relative)

Value

A list containing:

Total_Score

The sum of affirmative answers (Range 0-10).

Interpretation

General risk assessment associated with the score count.

Arguments

emotional_abuse

Numeric (0 or 1). Did a parent or adult in the household often swear at, insult, put down, or humiliate you? (1 = Yes).

physical_abuse

Numeric (0 or 1). Did a parent or adult in the household often push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? (1 = Yes).

sexual_abuse

Numeric (0 or 1). Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way? (1 = Yes).

emotional_neglect

Numeric (0 or 1). Did you often feel that no one in your family loved you or thought you were important? (1 = Yes).

physical_neglect

Numeric (0 or 1). Did you often feel that you didn't have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, or had no one to protect you? (1 = Yes).

divorce_separation

Numeric (0 or 1). Were your parents ever separated or divorced? (1 = Yes).

domestic_violence

Numeric (0 or 1). Was your mother or stepmother often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her? (1 = Yes).

substance_abuse

Numeric (0 or 1). Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or who used street drugs? (1 = Yes).

mental_illness

Numeric (0 or 1). Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide? (1 = Yes).

incarcerated_relative

Numeric (0 or 1). Did a household member go to prison? (1 = Yes).

References

Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14(4):245-258. doi:10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8

Examples

Run this code

# Example 1: High Risk
# Divorce, Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Incarceration
ace_score(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1)

# Example 2: Low Risk
# No adverse experiences reported
ace_score(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)

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