Lest We Forget: Comparing Retrospective and Prospective Assessments of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Prediction of Adult Health

Adverse childhood experiences have been associated with increased risk for later-life disease and dysfunction using adults’ retrospective reports of adversity, which are prone to bias. This study tests whether associations between childhood adversity and health outcomes are the same when adversity is measured through official prospective records and retrospective self-report.