The Chickasaw Nation’s Division of Research and Public Health is increasingly integrating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) prevention in multiple initiatives to improve population level health. Join us on May 14, 2024 at 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET for a special presentation from the Chickasaw Nation. This presentation will describe how awareness and capacity building efforts undertaken in recent years are contributing to a longer-term initiative to develop and use data for effective action in reducing ACEs and mitigating their impacts. The webinar is the result of a partnership between NACDD and CDC’s Cancer Prevention Across the Lifespan to foster innovative public health approaches to cancer prevention.

ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur before age 18. Examples include experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence in the home or community; and having a family member attempt or die by suicide. ACEs also include aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding, such as growing up in a household with substance use problems, mental health problems, and instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison. Communities can help prevent ACEs and reduce the harm they cause.

Research findings estimate that at least 6% of cancers could be prevented if children didn’t experience ACEs. That adds up to about 100,000 cancer cases per year that could be prevented. ACEs have been linked to a number of cancer risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol and substance use disorders, injection drug use, obesity, and sexual risk behaviors. Further information on ACEs may be found Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Cancer.