Impact of benevolent childhood experiences on mental and physical health in Mexican population.

BACKGROUND

Benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) promote resilience and protect against adversity. Existing research on the health benefits of BCEs is mainly based on high-income countries, with limited evidence for the Mexican population.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of cumulative and specific BCEs on the physical and mental health of Mexican adults.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: A nationally representative sample of 1448 participants aged 18-65 was randomly selected from urban and rural areas in Mexico.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study (September to November 2023), BCEs were retrospectively assessed (BCEs Scale). Self-reported socio-demographic data, physical and mental health history, and assessments for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PCL-5), and eating disorders (SCOFF) were collected.

RESULTS

747 participants (51.5 %) were aged 18-39, and 1115 (77 %) were women. Nearly half (49.7 %) reported 9-10 BCEs. Fewer BCEs were reported by participants from rural areas, who were the most economically disadvantaged, lacked formal education, spoke an indigenous language, and experienced food insecurity. 9-10 BCEs reduced the odds of irritable bowel syndrome (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.41-0.92, P = .01), depression (OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.48-0.70, P < .001), PTSD (OR 0.63, 95%CI 0.43-0.90, P = .01) and eating disorders (OR 0.73, 95%CI 0.58-0.94, P = .01). Specific BCEs like feeling comfortable with oneself reduced the odds of obesity (OR 0.56, 95 % Cl 0.33-0.94, P = .01), depression (OR 0.31, 95%CI 0.22-0.43, P < .001), and PTSD (OR 0.26, 95 % Cl 0.17-0.39, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

BCEs can protect health in different sociodemographic contexts. Context-sensitive interventions and policies are needed to strengthen them.