Adverse Childhood Experiences and Associated Correlates among Adolescents at a Rural Private High School in Kenya

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and associated correlates among adolescents at a rural private high school in Kenya. A cross-sectional research design was used, and 595 adolescents aged between 13-18 years were selected. Stratified random and simple random sampling methods were used to attain the sample size. Socio-demographic questionnaires, the ten-item short version of ACE, and Strengths and Difficulties (SDQ) questionnaires were used in data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Bivariate analysis using the chi-square test found that ACEs were significantly associated with emotional and behavioural problems, with statistical significance at P < 0.05. Multivariate analysis revealed that students in forms one and two were at a higher risk of having ACEs. Higher ACE risk was also found among children living in a single-parent family setup. Being Muslim and exhibiting normal emotional and peer problems were found to be protective factors, as they were associated with lower levels of ACEs. This study was limited to one sub-county; thus, the study findings cannot be generalized to the whole country. Future studies can target students from high economic backgrounds and urban areas to assess the prevalence of ACEs and their impact on associated correlates.