2026-10-14T05:14:33Z
https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai
oai:figshare.com:article/33998333
2026-09-25T17:29:23Z
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item_type_3
month_year_09_2026
<p>Quantitative data.</p>
Abdulsalam Ahmed (16448579)
Hafiz T. A. Khan (4268578)
Nestor Asiamah (13132955)
Medicine
Cell Biology
Pharmacology
Biotechnology
Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
Developmental Biology
Cancer
Science Policy
Infectious Diseases
Virology
significantly higher odds
reporting &# 8805
epidemiological transitions characterized
dichotomized (&# 8805
adverse childhood experiences
across 13 domains
33 &# 8211
25 &# 8211
undergoing rapid demographic
public health policy
determine independent predictors
also independently associated
3 conditions ).
nigeria </ p
strongly associated
independent predictor
demographic covariates
adult health
chronic conditions
24 conditions
ncds ).
21 ).
04 ).
001 ).
xlink ">
unadjusted analysis
term burden
sectional study
rising burden
response relationship
population ageing
older adults
niger state
nice criteria
informed strategies
generation households
findings underscore
early identification
course determinants
course approaches
confidence intervals
communicable diseases
assessed using
age 18
80 years
60 years
<div>
<p>Background</p><p>Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are established life-course determinants of adult health, yet evidence linking ACEs to multimorbidity in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. Nigeria is undergoing rapid demographic and epidemiological transitions characterized by population ageing and a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study examined whether cumulative ACE exposure predicts multimorbidity among older adults in North-Central Nigeria.</p>
<p>Methods</p><p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 734 adults aged ≥60 years in Niger State, Nigeria. ACE exposure before age 18 was assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) across 13 domains. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more chronic conditions (NICE criteria) from a list of 24 conditions and analyzed both as a count and dichotomized (≥3 vs. < 3 conditions). Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. Chi-square tests examined bivariate associations. Hierarchical logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine independent predictors of multimorbidity.</p>
<p>Results</p><p>High cumulative ACE exposure was observed, with 68.4% reporting ≥4 ACEs. Multimorbidity was common: 38.4% reported three or more chronic conditions. ACE exposure was strongly associated with multimorbidity (χ² = 116.07, p < 0.001). In unadjusted analysis, participants reporting ≥4 ACEs had significantly higher odds of multimorbidity (OR = 67.14; 95% CI: 9.25–487.04). After adjusting for socio-demographic covariates, cumulative ACE exposure remained an independent predictor (OR = 15.58; 95% CI: 1.33–182.21). Advanced age (≥80 years) and living in three-generation households were also independently associated with multimorbidity.</p>
<p>Conclusions</p><p>Cumulative childhood adversity significantly predicts multimorbidity among older Nigerian adults, demonstrating a clear dose–response relationship. These findings underscore the importance of life-course approaches and trauma-informed strategies in public health policy. Early identification and prevention of childhood adversity may contribute to reducing the long-term burden of multimorbidity in low- and middle-income settings.</p></div>
2026-09-25T17:29:21Z
Dataset
Dataset
10.1371/journal.pone.0358944.s001
https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/_p_Quantitative_data_p_/33998333
CC BY 4.0