Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are widely recognized as risk factors for various negative health outcomes. However, the impact of ACEs on different domains of physical activity in adulthood remains underexplored. Understanding these associations is crucial for designing effective interventions to promote physical activity and reduce health disparities in vulnerable populations. This study aimed to investigate the cumulative effects of ACEs on occupational, leisure-time, and transport-related physical activity among middle-aged and elderly adults. METHODS: Using the life history survey data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2014 and the subsequent follow-up data in 2015, multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the number of ACEs and the physical activity participation different domains: Occupational Physical Activity (OPA), which refers to work-related physical activity; Leisure-Time Physical Activity (LTPA), which includes recreational physical activities; and TPA (transport-related physical activity), which refers to the physical activities caused by cycling and walking in order to reach the destination. Twelve ACEs including physical abuse, emotional neglect, household substance abuse, household mental illness, domestic violence, incarceration of a household member, parental separation or divorce, unsafe neighborhood, bullying, parental death, sibling death, and parental disability. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, the OPA compliance rate was significantly increased in people with 4 or more ACEs (OR = 1.61, 95%CI = 1.33-1.94, P < 0.001), while the LTPA compliance rate was significantly decreased compared with those without ACEs (OR = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.63-0.94, P < 0.001). In addition, there was a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and the OPA and LTPA participation rates(P-trend < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ACEs have different associations with participation in different areas of physical activity in middle-aged and elderly people. When promoting participation in physical activity, more attention should be paid to middle-aged and elderly people with ACEs.