The association between adverse childhood experiences and successful aging among older people in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

The aim of current study was to assess the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and successful aging among Chinese. A total of 7517 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011 were included in cross-sectional analyses. Any of 12 ACEs, measured by indicators on a questionnaire. Overall prevalence of successful aging was 11.77%, and there was an increase in number of ACEs was associated with a decreasing trend in the prevalence of successful aging, and those experiencing four or more ACEs had the lowest level of successful aging. Compared to participants without ACEs exposure, those experiencing three and four or more ACEs were associated with lower odds of achieving successful aging, with corresponding odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.77 (0.60-0.98) and 0.63 (0.49-0.82), respectively. In conclusion, exposure to ACEs showed a lower likelihood of successful aging among the middle-aged and elderly people in China.