Research

Article Critique

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a known risk factor for numerous physical
and mental health problems later in life. The effect of ACEs on life expectancy, unfortunately, is
seldom known. The article aims to investigate the relationship between ACEs and life
expectancy in a sample of individuals who have experienced ACEs and compare their life
expectancy to those without ACEs. The authors used a cross-sectional design and analyzed the
data using a t-test. Examining the study's findings reveals a significant variance in life
expectancy between those with and without ACEs, with those with ACEs having a shorter life
expectancy. Additionally, the results obtained from the research article reveal the need to address
ACEs to improve life expectancy and overall health outcomes. Th authors of this article used a
cross-sectional research design, tables and figures to make the article presentation and display
the findings appropriately.

Research Design

The authors of this article employed a cross-sectional study as their methodological
approach. The authors used a sample of people with negative childhood experiences to gather
data (ACEs) and compare their life expectancy to those who did not have ACEs. When analyzing
the data to see if there was a significant difference in life expectancy between people with and
without ACEs, the authors utilized a t-test. In this case, the authors were interested in comparing
the life expectancy of those with ACEs to those without ACEs. Overall, using a t-test seems
appropriate in this case as the authors were interested in comparing the means of two groups and
the data collected were continuous variables (life expectancy). It may affect the reliability and
generalizability of the results. Longitudinal studies, in which data are collected over a longer
period of time, might be more effective in establishing such a relationship.

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Data Display

The authors in this article display the data by presenting several tables and figures that
illustrate the results of their analysis. The visualizations in tables and figures provide a clear and
concise way for readers to understand the analysis results. However, some things could be
improved in the data presented in this article. One concern is that it needs to be clarified how the
data was collected or how the sample was selected. The information is important because it can
impact the validity of the findings. Without knowing more about the data collection process, it is
difficult to evaluate the reliability and generalizability of the results fully. Additionally, it would
have been helpful for the authors to provide more context for the data, such as a description of
the study population and the specific ACEs that were measured. Overall, while the data is
presented clearly and organized, some important details need to be included that could enhance
the reader's understanding of the results.
The results of the study stand together as several limitations could affect the findings'
generalizability. Additionally, the study does not control for other potentially confounding
variables, such as socioeconomic status or access to healthcare, which could affect the
relationship between ACEs and life expectancy.
Effect Size

The authors report effect sizes for the relationships between ACEs and several health
outcomes, such as self-reported health and hospitalization rates. The effect sizes are generally
moderate to large, suggesting a strong relationship between ACEs and these outcomes. However,
it is still being determined whether these effect sizes are meaningful in the context of the study,
as there is no information on the sample size or the statistical power of the analysis. The
information makes it easier to determine the clinical significance of the results.

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Reference

Johnston, L. B. (2021). After Five Years: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Response to
Surviving Illness Contribute to Shorter Life Expectancy. Smith College Studies in Social
Work, 91(3), 187-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2021.1894305.