Key Findings
- Purpose To examine the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and asthma among children and adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
- Population 75 children and adolescents with SCD were screened for ACEs, including original (individual/familial) and expanded (community-level) ACEs.
- Headline Result 78% of participants reported at least one ACE. Adolescents exposed to ≥2 original ACEs or ≥4 expanded ACEs were 1.15 times as likely to have asthma. Logistic regression confirmed ACEs were independently associated with asthma.
- Why It Matters Individuals with SCD who also have asthma are at increased risk for SCD-related health complications, mainly pain and acute lung injury. Numerous research studies have demonstrated a connection between mental stress and asthma development but not in an SCD sample.
- Evidence Gaps Further, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the link. This study is cross-sectional and thus cannot establish temporal relationship. It also has possible selection bias as it has higher asthma prevalence than typical pediatric SCD cohorts. The small sample size also restricts control for confounders.