PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Sexual and reproductive health is a crucial public health concern. In the United States, rates of sexually
transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy are highest among adolescents and young adults, particularly
racial/ethnic minorities, making prevention programs to these populations essential. A social determinants of
health perspective necessitates the need to understand how contextual factors are associated with health
outcomes, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent factors that may play a role in adolescent
sexual and reproductive health. However, the application of novel methods to longitudinal data is necessary to
understand the effects of type, timing, and frequency of ACEs on sexual and reproductive health. We propose
the application of an innovative analytic method, Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis, to longitudinal data from
the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. This project has three specific aims. The first aim will uncover
patterns of multiple types of ACEs across ages 3, 5, 9, and 15, and examine how these patterns may differ by
race/ethnicity. The second aim will examine how longitudinal profiles of ACEs are associated with sexual and
reproductive health outcomes at age 15, and how these associations differ by race/ethnicity, gender, and
sexual orientation. Finally, the third aim will examine how protective factors at different ages may buffer the
effects of longitudinal ACEs profiles on sexual and reproductive health. This project will provide knowledge of
the patterns of adverse childhood experiences across childhood in a higher risk sample, how they are
associated with sexual and reproductive health outcomes, how these factors may underlie health disparities,
and which factors may buffer associations. Results will allow prevention scientists to design interventions that
target the most at-risk groups with the most relevant protective factors at the most critical age periods.
Published manuscripts will include details of the statistical models and associated syntax to allow other
researchers to utilize these methods in their work on adverse childhood experiences and reproductive health.
