Recalled Adverse Childhood Experiences Predict Behavioral Traits Associated With an Accelerated Life History in Cebu, Philippines

OBJECTIVES: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have long been associated with poor health in adulthood, with many researchers interpreting these findings as evidence of a "fast" life history. In this study we utilize data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) to test the expectations of this framework among inhabitants of the Cebu metropolitan area in the Philippines. METHODS: Data on development, behavior, and reproduction were collected from study participants (N = 1288, 54% male) over the course of multiple survey rounds, beginning before their birth in 1983-84. In 2018, participants completed a retrospective ACEs questionnaire. We built discrete hazard models and generalized linear models to test whether recalled ACEs predict characteristics of a "faster" life history in CLHNS. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between ACEs and maturational timing, but individuals who recalled more ACEs engaged in health-risk behaviors earlier and exhibited younger ages at sexual debut. Among women specifically, ACEs also predicted a younger age at first reproduction and higher gravidity. After splitting ACEs into two dimensions, the same results were observed in response to deprivation but not threat. CONCLUSIONS: As in other low resource settings, physical maturation in Cebu was accelerated in households with greater access to resources but not in response to early psychosocial stressors as indicated by recalled ACEs. However, individuals who experienced ACEs did exhibit behavioral profiles consistent with faster life history scheduling and greater investment in reproduction.