1. StatChat: Using Data as a Non
Data User
Aditi Srivastav Bussells, MPH
ACE Coordinator
2. Objectives
• Recognize basic public health data types
and terms
• Learn about the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System
• Understand South Carolina’s Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACE) data
• Apply ACE data to community efforts
Children's Trust of South Carolina 2
3. Types of data
• Identifying an individuals name or
address
• Demographic age, sex, race, ethnicity
• Clinical diagnoses, signs, weight, height
• Lab x-rays, MRIs
• Risk Factor family history, smoking, diet
• Source name, date, type of survey
Children's Trust of South Carolina 3
4. ACE Data Source
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
Survey (BRFSS), SC Department of
Health and Environmental Control
– Sample size ~ 11,027
– Collected 2014-2016
• ACE Survey = 11 items
–Sample size ~ 11,027
4
5. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System
• Established in 1984 by CDC
• State-based system
• Monitor health risk behaviors, preventive health
practices, health care access health practices, health
care access - Chronic diseases and injuries Chronic
diseases and injuries
• Conducted by Health Departments in all 50 states,
District of Columbia, all 50 states, District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, U.S Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, U.S
Virgin Islands and Guam
Children's Trust of South Carolina 5
6. BRFSS (Cont’d)
• Telephone health interview survey (landline
and cell phone)
• Completed annually
• Information from a representative sample of
non-institutionalized adults aged 18 and older
• Representative sample, which means we can
apply data to entire South Carolina
population
Children's Trust of South Carolina 6
7. Examples of Questionnaire Content
–Health Status – Demographics –
Pregnancy – Smoking – Diabetes – Health
Insurance – Routine checkup– Women’s
Health– HIV/AIDS - Oral health–
Hypertension – Alcohol– Injury –
Cholesterol–Physical activity – Fruits &
vegetables– Weight control– Cardiovascular
health
Children's Trust of South Carolina 7
8. BRFSS Questionnaire
• Core components: questions asked every
year or every other year
• Optional modules supported by CDC: ACE
questions
• State added questions: Other related
questions
Children's Trust of South Carolina 8
11. Children's Trust of South Carolina 11
ACE Questions
1. Did you live with anyone who was depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal?
2. Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic?
3. Did you live with anyone who used illegal street drugs or who abused
prescription medications?
4. Did you live with anyone who served time or was sentenced to serve time in a
prison, jail, or other correctional facility?
5. Were your parents separated or divorced?
6. How often did your parents or adults in your home ever slap, hit, kick, punch,
or beat each other up?
7. Before age 18, how often did a parent or adult in your home ever hit, beat,
kick, or physically hurt you in any way?
8. How often did a parent or adult in your home ever swear at you, insult you, or
put you down
9. How often did anyone at least five years older than you or an adult ever touch
you sexually?
10. How often did anyone at least five years older than you or an adult try to make
you touch them sexually?
11. How often did anyone at least five years older than you or an adult force you to
have sex?
12. How we describe ACE data
• Prevalence
– Individual
– Overall
– Demographics
• Cumulative
• Associations (Relationship to ACEs)
• Interrelatedness
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13. Prevalence
• The current burden of ACEs in South
Carolina’s population; the frequency of
current ACEs
• Prevalence helps in our prevention
planning efforts and resource allocation
Children's Trust of South Carolina 13
15. Individual ACE Types in South Carolina
Children's Trust of South Carolina 15
DIVORCE/
SEPARATION
30%
INCARCERATION
9%
SEXUAL
ABUSE
14%
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
20%
MENTAL
ILLNESS
16%
PHYSICAL
ABUSE
16%
EMOTIONAL
ABUSE
30%
SUBSTANCE
USE
28%
16. Prevalence in South Carolina
Children's Trust of South Carolina 16
62%
have
ACEs
38%
don’t
have
ACEs
17. Cumulative
• The number of ACEs reported by an
individual
– None
– One
– Two
– Three
– Four or more
• Cumulative helps us
understand trends and overall risk
Children's Trust of South Carolina 17
18. Risk Factors
• Risk factors commonly associated with
ACEs:
– Smoking and Alcohol Consumption
– Chronic Conditions (asthma, kidney disease,
heart disease, COPD)
– Mental Health
– Health Care Access and Use
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20. Mental Health
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Condition No ACE ACE 4+ ACE
Depressive
Disorder
21% 79% 33%
General health
Excellent 43% 57% 13%
Very Good 41% 59% 14%
Good 37% 63% 18%
Fair 32% 68% 21%
Poor 32% 68% 23%
21. Behavioral Risk
Children's Trust of South Carolina 21
Risk
No ACE ACE 4+ ACE
Current smoker 24% 76% 30%
Ever smoked 32% 68% 22%
Binge drinker 29% 71% 23%
Never use
seatbelt
32% 68% 19%
22. Healthcare Access
Children's Trust of South Carolina 22
Utilization No ACE ACE 4+ ACE
No Health Coverage 24% 76% 25%
Medical Cost Barrier 19% 81% 35%
No Personal Care
Provider
29% 71% 22%
Checkup Over 2 Years
Ago
34% 66% 19%
Checkup Never 28% 72% 18%
23. Associations
• Observe trends and relationships between
ACEs and different kind of outcomes
– Trend= pattern over time?
– Relationship= yes/no, positive/negative
• Helps us in making an argument for WHY
ACEs are important
• Correlation does not equal causation!
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24. Children's Trust of South Carolina 24
We can’t predict
cause, just that there
is an association!
26. Race/Ethnicity and ACEs: The
Importance of Correlation
26
29%
53%
35%
21%
41%
71%
47%
65%
79%
59%
1% 1%
25%
4%
68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
American
Indian
Asian Black Hispanic White
No ACE ACE Total Population
27. Your Turn: Education and ACEs
Children's Trust of South Carolina 27
53% of college
graduates
have ACEs
63% of
high school
graduates
have ACEs
68% of
people
with some
high
school
have ACEs
28. Your Turn: ACEs and Income
70% 68% 63%
57%
30% 32%
37%
43%
0-$9,000 $20-24,999 $35-49,999 $75,000 +
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
ACEs No ACEChildren's Trust of South Carolina 28
29. Your Turn: ACEs and Health Care
Children's Trust of South Carolina 29
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
No Health
Coverage
Medical Cost
Barrier
No Personal Care
Provider
Checkup Over 2
Years Ago
Checkup Never
No ACE ACE
30. Interrelatedness
• Interrelated means “to occur together”
• To examine the co-occurrence of ACEs,
we look at:
– the prevalence
– and odds that exposure to an individual ACE was
associated with exposure to another individual ACE
Children's Trust of South Carolina 30
32. But what about the relationship
BETWEEN ACEs and Prevention
Efforts?
Emotional
Abuse
Physical
Abuse
Sexual
Abuse
Mental Illness
Domestic
Violence
Incarceration
Substance
Use
Divorce/
Separation
Prevention
33. Of the population that reports
incarceration of a parent,
Children's Trust of South Carolina 33
48%
report 4+
ACEs
34. Prevalence of ACEs & co-occurrence of additional ACEs
Children's Trust of South Carolina 34
Of the Population that
Reported this ACE….
0 ≥1 ≥2 ≥3 ≥4
Divorce/Separation 30% 19% 16% 12% 24%
Emotional Abuse 16% 19% 19% 15% 30%
Substance Use 15% 19% 21% 15% 30%
Domestic Violence 8% 15% 18% 18% 40%
Mental Illness 12% 15% 16% 15% 42%
Physical Abuse 5% 10% 16% 19% 50%
Sexual Abuse 13% 16% 16% 14% 42%
Incarceration 5% 15% 16% 14% 48%
35. Interrelatedness
Compare the relative odds (probability) that one
type of ACE will occur given exposure to
another type of ACE
i.e. Odd Ratio = 5
An individual who experienced physical abuse is at
5x greater odds of experiencing mental illness than
those who did not experience physical abuse
35
Odds Ratios
36. Child Abuse ACE and Odds of
Other ACEs
Children's Trust of South Carolina 36
Physical
Abuse
17x greater odds
to have emotional
abuse
11x greater odds
to have
household
domestic
violence
5x times greater
odds to have
substance use in
the household
6x greater odds
to have sexual
abuse
37. Your Turn!
Children's Trust of South Carolina 37
Household
Substance
Use
OR: 5
physical abuse
OR: 7
domestic violence
OR: 10
household
incarceration
OR: 6
household
mental illness
38. Children's Trust of South Carolina 38
Parental
Incarceration
OR: 10
Substance Use
OR: 5
domestic violence
OR: 4
Mental illness in
the household
OR: 4
divorce/separation
Your Turn!
39. Applying Data in Your Community
Audience: School Board
Ask: Get teachers trained in a trauma
informed curriculum, requires money and
time
What data would you use?
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40. Applying Data in Your Community
• Audience: Prevention Grant
• Ask: To develop a program that helps at
risk youth from engaging in substance
use, prevents domestic violence, improves
foster care system
What data would you use?
Children's Trust of South Carolina 40
41. Applying Data in Your Community
• Audience: Your family and friends
• Ask: Explain why ACEs are important in a
way that makes sense
What data would you use?
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What is the BRFSS/History of BRFSS? The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation's premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. Established in 1984 with 15 states, BRFSS now collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world.
Who participates? Adults 18 years or older are asked to take part in the survey. Participants are not compensated monetarily but should know that they are taking part in a rewarding endeavor that helps improve the health of U.S. residents. The number of interviews within each state will vary based on funding and the size of regions, such as health districts, within each state.
But aren’t we asking some questions about childhood experiences? Why are we asking adults? Yes, the ACE questions do concern childhood experiences. However, we are asking adults to retrospectively recall whether they experienced these things. Because we are also asking about adult outcomes including current health conditions and risk factors, it makes sense to administer the BRFSS to adults. Additionally, there are potential issues with consent and validity associated with surveying children over the phone.
How are participants contacted? The survey is conducted year-round using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) techniques on both landlines and cell phones.
Who is in charge of the survey? On a national level, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are in charge of the BRFSS. In South Carolina, the survey is administered by DHEC (Department of Health and Environmental Control).
What gets asked in the BRFSS?
National modules: Health status, healthcare access, exercise, chronic health conditions (including physical and mental illnesses), oral health, demographics, tobacco use, immunization, falls (only for respondents 45 or older), seatbelt use, drinking and driving, breast and cervical cancer (only for female respondents), prostate cancer screening (only for male respondents 39 or older), colorectal cancer screening (only for respondents 49 and older), HIV/AIDS
Additional SC modules: diabetes, healthcare access, pre-diabetes, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questions
Sample sizes are the total number of South Carolinians that were asked questions – responses to each individual questions may vary.
ACEs Survey Item Categories and Corresponding Questions:
-Substance Abuse: Lived with alcoholic? OR Lived with drug user?
-Mental illness: Lived with anyone who was depressed/mentally ill/suicidal?
-Domestic Violence: Physical abuse among parents?
-Divorce: Parents separated or divorced?
-Incarceration: Lived with anyone who served time in prison?
-Physical Abuse: Parental physical abuse?
-Emotional Abuse: Parental verbal abuse?
-Sexual Abuse: Ever touch you sexually? OR Ever make you touch them sexually? OR Force you to have sex?
But aren’t we asking some questions about childhood experiences? Why are we asking adults? Yes, the ACE questions do concern childhood experiences. However, we are asking adults to retrospectively recall whether they experienced these things. Because we are also asking about adult outcomes including current health conditions and risk factors, it makes sense to administer the BRFSS to adults. Additionally, there are potential issues with consent and validity associated with surveying children over the phone.
We’re concerned about cumulative impact, and exposure.
We’re particularly interested in prevalence, or the number of people who have experienced ACEs in their life. You can see in your data packet that over 60% or 62% of South Carolina’s adults have experienced ACEs. That’s 6 out of ten people. Well over the majority. Similarly, only 38% have not experienced ACEs, that’s roughly 4 out of ten people.
Asthma, COPD, kidney disease: 69% reported an ACE
COPD: 27% had 4+ ACEs
Asthma and kidney disease: 25% had 4+ ACEs
ACEs adult chronic disease
Health costs projected to increase to $4.2 trillion annually
ACEs prevalent among those reporting a depressive disorder and low QofL
ACEs prevention can impact mental health and well-being
Mental health is closely linked to productivity and can impact many facets of life, including intergenerationally
ACEs are common and are associated with risk behaviors
Smokers and binge/heavy drinkers had higher rates of ACEs compared to non-smokers/drinkers
Reduction in ACEs could potentially reduce risk behaviors and negative outcomes associated with risk behaviors
South Carolinians who experienced ACEs had
low rates of healthcare coverage
frequently reported medical cost as a barrier to care
low rates of having a medical home
low rates of preventative care
decreased access to healthcare among South Carolina adults who experienced ACEs
Improving access to healthcare for those with ACEs is key to reducing ACEs in the community
Using healthcare settings as a way to educate families about ACEs may help prevent future ACEs
Educating primary care providers on the impact of ACEs and healthcare use is important to develop better screening and treatment
Important to integrate the impact of social disadvantage and stress linked with race/ethnicity on childhood adversity
Need to better understand contextual factors that cause higher rates of ACEs in certain racial groups
Race/ethnicity analysis can provide insight on ways to develop better frameworks and programs
Income is not always a protective factor, but we do see a slight decrease in ACEs as income rises. May be connected to access.
A wealth of research has documented the relationship between exposure to adversity in childhood and negative health and social outcomes in adulthood
Early studies focused on the long-term health and social impacts of a single type of adversity
Health and social impact of childhood adversity may best be understood by examining the co-occurrence of types of adversity compared to a single type of adversity, as adversities tend to be related to one another
This information has important implications for both prevention efforts and intervention and treatment of adversity