Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Senior Thesis

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Primary Major

Nursing

Thesis Advisor

Kendra Hoepper, DNP, APRN, PNP-BC

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are traumatic challenges experienced before the age of 18. These adversities have lifelong effects on physiologic and mental health. A relationship has been made between the number of ACEs and occurrences of poor birth outcomes. The toxic stress that accumulates from ACEs compounded by racism increases the risk for poor birth outcomes in women of color. Understanding the importance of screening for these events can mitigate the negative effects on women’s health during and after gestation. Purpose: This current paper, in addition to a literature review, proposes a research design to validate the feasibility of screening for both ACEs and racist experiences to predict the risk for poor birth outcomes. Method: Participants will be recruited from an obstetrician and gynecology office in a metropolitan, diverse city in the Bay Area. Participants will take a confidential electronic survey to quantify their ACE score, their racial adversity score, and number of experienced poor birth outcomes such as preterm birth, stillbirths, or spontaneous abortions. Results: Descriptive statistics will be used to determine any significant associations between the adversity scores and occurrences of poor birth outcomes. Combined, the quantities of both kinds of adversities would ideally prove to be an effective predictive tool for risks for poor birth outcomes in women of color. Conclusion: Screening for ACEs as well as racial traumas is relevant to nursing as it abides by holistic and trauma-informed healthcare. This proposal helps advance the science of comprehensive perinatal care.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences, ACEs, allostatic load, racism, women of color, poor birth outcomes

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