Conceptualizing Adverse Childhood Experiences as a Latent Factor: Tests of Measurement Invariance Across Five Racial and Ethnic Groups

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Citation

Jensen, Todd M.; Bernard, Donte; & Lanier, Paul (Online ahead of print). Conceptualizing Adverse Childhood Experiences as a Latent Factor: Tests of Measurement Invariance Across Five Racial and Ethnic Groups. Child Development.

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are conventionally measured using a cumulative-risk index without consideration of distinct measurement properties across racial and ethnic groups. Drawing from the 2018-2020 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 93,759; 48% female; average age: 9.52 years), we assess the measurement invariance of a latent-factor ACE model across five groups: Hispanic children (14%) and non-Hispanic White (73%), Black (7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5%), and American Indian/Alaskan Native (1%) children. Results support configural and full metric invariance across groups. However, several ACE item thresholds differed across groups. Findings highlight the potential utility of a latent factor approach and underscore the need to assess differences across racial and ethnic groups in terms of the optimal conceptualization and measurement of ACEs.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14050

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

Online ahead of print

Journal Title

Child Development

Author(s)

Jensen, Todd M.
Bernard, Donte
Lanier, Paul

Article Type

Regular

Data Set/Study

National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH)

Continent/Country

United States

State

Nonspecific

Race/Ethnicity

White
Hispanic
Black
Asian/Pacific Islander
American Indian

ORCiD

Jensen T - 0000-0002-6930-899X