Childhood trauma the norm, but positive experiences help

Almost all children in Aotearoa, New Zealand (87 percent) have experienced significant trauma by the time they are eight, far more than earlier thought, according to new research.

Childhood trauma has lasting impacts on mental and physical health, including obesity; however, positive experiences can offset the impact of negative ones, the research finds. See the European Journal of Public Health.

While earlier studies have put the level at around two-thirds (55 percent) of young Kiwis experiencing major setbacks by adulthood, this study drew on the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand study, which is following thousands of people from birth onwards.

The study analysed data on almost 5,000 children born between 2009 and 2010.

Lead author Dr Ladan Hashemi focused on association of ‘adverse childhood events’ with children being overweight or obese at the age of eight; however, adverse events predict a range of mental and physical health conditions in later life.

“Children who experienced at least one adverse experience were twice as likely as children who had not experienced any traumatic events to be obese at age eight,” says Hashemi, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Auckland and senior researcher at City St George’s University of London.

Childhood obesity is a serious issue in Aotearoa, New Zealand with one in three children starting school overweight or obese, which in turn can lead to mental and physical health issues.

This risk of obesity increased as the number of traumatic events increased. Those who experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences were almost three times more likely to develop obesity by age eight compared with those who experienced no adverse experiences.

Childhood trauma, in the study, included: physical and mental abuse, bullying, and parental violence, substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, separation or divorce and/or ethnic discrimination.

Children living in financially disadvantaged households and those who identified as Māori or Pacific had the highest prevalence of experiencing almost all types of adverse experiences as well as the higher numbers of adversities.

A novel area the researchers looked at was the protective effect of positive experiences. For the study, these included:
• parents in a committed relationship
• mother interacted well with child
• mother involved in social groups
• child engaged in experiences and activities
• child lived in a house with routines and rules
• child attended effective early childhood education.

Children who had a higher number of positive experiences had a lower risk of being obese at the age of eight.

However, children needed at least four beneficial experiences to counter the effect of negative experiences.

While almost half (48 percent) of the sample reported of at least four positive experiences, more than one in ten children (11 percent) experienced zero or one positive experience.

The most prevalent positive experience was ‘mother involved in social groups’ reported by 71 percent of the sample. The least prevalent was ‘living in a household with routines and rules’, reported by 41 percent of the sample.

“If parents, schools and policymakers focus on supporting children to have positive experiences, they will also protect against adversity and improve children’s health and mental health,” Hashemi says.

“This isn't just about preventing obesity; it's about helping children thrive,” Hashemi says.

While traumatic experiences have a greater impact, focusing public spending and programmes on creating positive and healing experiences for children, often also helps prevent negative events.

“Fostering a constellation of positive childhood experiences (at family, community, and population level) can significantly mitigate the negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences on childhood obesity,” Hashemi says.

Measures could include policies supporting access to early childhood education and measures to reduce poverty and prevent domestic violence, as well as families imposing rules and routines.

“Creating supportive and nurturing environments is crucial for promoting healthy development and resilience in children.”

Read: Identification of positive childhood experiences with the potential to mitigate childhood unhealthy weight status in children within the context of adverse childhood experiences: a prospective cohort study

Ministry of Social Development report on the topic: Adverse childhood experiences and childhood obesity: Can positive childhood experiences mitigate the association? - Ministry of Social Development