Adverse childhood experiences and pain incidence and multisite trajectories among middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

INTRODUCTION

Pain is prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may contribute to its development; however, mechanisms linking ACEs to pain remain unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates the association between ACEs and incident pain and multisite pain trajectories, focusing on mediation by depressive symptoms and social isolation.

METHODS

We used China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data (2011-2020). We analyzed 2 samples: an incidence cohort of pain-free at baseline (n = 9,252) and a trajectory cohort with repeated pain measures (n = 9,935). Pain was assessed at each wave by self-reported presence and multisite pain trajectories. Adverse childhood experiences were measured using a cumulative index of 13 adversities. Cox proportional hazards models, group-based trajectory modeling, and multinomial logistic models estimated associations with incident pain and trajectory group membership. Multiple mediation analyses quantified indirect effects of depressive symptoms and social isolation.

RESULTS

We identified 3 multisite pain trajectories: minimal multisite (46.33%), increasing multisite (38.93%), and high multisite (14.74%). Higher ACEs scores (≥4) were associated with increased risk of incident pain (hazard ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.32) and membership in high multisite trajectories (odds ratio = 3.97, 95% CI: 3.05-5.17). In parallel mediation models, depressive symptoms mediated up to 28.25% of the ACEs-pain association for high multisite trajectories, whereas social isolation showed minimal effects.

CONCLUSION

Adverse childhood experiences were linked to incident and multisite pain, largely through depressive symptoms. Targeting psychological health may mitigate the impact of ACEs on pain outcomes, suggesting a need for interventions addressing early-life exposures and mental health interventions in aging populations.