Evaluation of the pathway between Adverse Childhood Experiences and type 2 Diabetes in adulthoo

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful events occurring throughout the developmental stages of a child's life that confer greater risk for the development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The mechanisms that underlie the relationship between ACEs and T2DM are not well understood. Greater understanding of the impact ACEs have on T2DM may inform how social determinants of health impact health outcomes. This study's objective was to examine the association between cumulative ACEs and T2DM in adulthood; examine the differential relationship between individual ACE components and T2DM in adulthood; and to evaluate the mediators of the relationship between an important ACE, sexual abuse in childhood and T2DM in adulthood. Findings showed that there was a statistically significant association showing higher odds of diabetes with the sexual abuse component (OR 1.81). The pathway from sexual abuse to diabetes in adulthood was significantly mediated by depression and obesity.