A Validation of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale in Nigeria

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experience International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was developed to measure childhood trauma in adolescents and adults. The present study examined concurrent validity of ACE-IQ and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) using responses of 253 prison inmates on both instruments. The instruments were administered concurrently to purposively selected inmates in Agodi Prison, Ibadan. Correlations between the total score of the ACE-IQ and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were significant. Correlations between each subscale of the ACE-IQ and the CTQ were significant. A 2x2x2x2 factorial analysis of gender, age, educational level and marital status on adverse childhood experiences revealed that male, young, low on education and divorced (MYLD) prison inmate were more on adverse childhood experience (n=4, x =108, SD=6.9).These results indicated that the ACE-IQ and CTQ have concurrent validity and ACE IQ is a reliable and valid index of the adverse childhood experience in the study population.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experience questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, prison inmates, concurrent validity.