Adverse childhood experiences, allostatic load, multimorbidity and functioning: an analyses of the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging

Adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to child abuse and neglect, parental separation and loss, are significant risk factors for mental and physical health problems later in life. Research suggests that these adverse experiences early in life ‘get under the skin’ to affect the way our body works, such as how it responds to stressful situations. Over time, these biological changes are related to health outcomes and functioning later in life. Using Baseline and Follow-up 1 data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA), we will examine the associations between childhood adversity, later biological function, and health outcomes.