TABLE 1.

Adverse childhood event (ACE) question items and corresponding responses (BRFSS, 2010, Hawaii)

ACE Type	Items: “Now, looking back before you were 18 years of age…”	Response Categoriesa
Household Dysfunction
• Mental illness in household member	• Did you live with anyone who was depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal?	Yes, No
• Substance abuse in household member	• Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic?	Yes, No
	• Did you live with anyone who used illegal street drugs or who abused prescription medications?	Yes, No
• Incarceration of household member	• Did you live with anyone who served time or was sentenced to serve time in a prison, jail, or other correctional facility?	Yes, No
• Divorce	• Were your parents separated or divorced?	Yes, No
• Witnessed abuse	• How often did your parents or adults in your home ever slap, hit, kick, punch or beat each other up?	Never, Once, More than Once
Physical Abuse	• Before age 18, how often did a parent or adult in your home ever hit, beat, kick, or physically hurt you in any way? Do not include spanking. Would you say…	Never, Once, More than Once
Verbal Abuseb	• How often did a parent or adult in your home ever swear at you, insult you, or put you down?	Never, Once, More than Once
Sexual Abuse	• How often did anyone 5 years older than you or an adult ever touch you sexually?	Never, Once, More than Once
	• How often did anyone at least 5 years older than you or an adult try to make you touch them sexually?	Never, Once, More than Once
	• How often did anyone at least 5 years older than you or an adult force you to have sex?	Never, Once, More than Once

ACE, Adverse Childhood Event; BRFSS, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

^aResponses of ‘Don’t know/not sure’ and refusal to answer (not included in this table) were coded as missing values.

^bThe occurrence of verbal abuse was defined by a “more than once” response versus “once” or “never”.