Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Child Population Samples: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) before the age of 18 years is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and disability.

Objective: To meta-analyze data from samples with children 18 years or younger to estimate the average prevalence of ACEs, identify characteristics and contexts associated with higher or lower ACE exposure, and explore methodological factors that might influence these prevalence estimates.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Studies that were published between January 1, 1998 and February 19, 2024, were sourced from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINHAL, and Embase.