title: Adverse Experiences in Early Childhood and Kindergarten Outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in early childhood and teacher-reported academic and behavioral problems in kindergarten.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national urban birth cohort. Subjects with primary caregiver-reported information on ACE exposures ascertained at 5 years and teacher-reported outcomes at the end of the child's kindergarten year were included. Outcomes included teacher ratings of academic skills, emergent literacy skills, and behavior. We included 8 ACE exposures on the basis of the original Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kaiser study and created an ACE score by summing individual adversities. We examined the associations between teacher-reported academic and behavioral outcomes and ACE scores by using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study sample, 1007 children were included. Fifty-five percent had experienced 1 ACE and 12% had experienced ≥ 3. Adjusting for potential confounders, experiencing ≥ 3 ACEs was associated with below-average language and literacy skills (adjusted odds ratio [AORs]: 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.9) and math skills (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9), poor emergent literacy skills, attention problems (AOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.8-6.5), social problems (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.4-5.0), and aggression (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study of urban children, experiencing ACEs in early childhood was associated with below-average, teacher-reported academic and literacy skills and behavior problems in kindergarten. These findings underscore the importance of integrated approaches that promote optimal development among vulnerable children.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Family Medicine and Community Health, Boggs Center for Developmental Disabilities, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Children's Specialized Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey; jimenema@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, and.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Reichman
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000067010:Literacy / Q000523:psychology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D014481:United States