Background: Trauma, characterized by persistent emotional distress following exposure to a distressing event, is linked to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Both childhood and adulthood trauma have been associated with increased risk of chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders in adulthood. According to literature, African Americans, compared to their White counterparts, experience higher levels of trauma and greater prevalence of chronic diseases. This study investigates whether African American adults with a history of trauma, regardless of timing, exhibit a higher chronic disease burden. Secondarily, the study explores the relationship between traumatic experiences and emotional/psychiatric issues within this population.

Methods: This secondary data analysis utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the association between chronic disease burden and lifetime trauma, childhood trauma, and adulthood trauma. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between each trauma category and chronic disease burden. Multiple logistic regression models were also implemented to examine associations between trauma categories and emotional/psychiatric problems, adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables.

Results: Trauma, regardless of timing, was significantly associated with increased chronic disease burden (childhood: p = .008, adulthood: p < .001, lifetime: p < .001) and higher likelihood of emotional/psychiatric problems (childhood: OR = 1.368, 95% CI = 1.220, 1.534; adulthood: OR = 1.375, 95% CI = 1.185, 1.596; lifetime: OR = 1.284, 95% CI = 1.192, 1.382) in adulthood among African American adults. These associations remained robust after adjusting for age, sex, education, BMI, and smoking status.

Conclusion: This study highlights the profound impact of trauma on both physical and mental health outcomes in African American adults. Beyond the well-established biological mechanisms linking trauma to adult health, these findings demonstrate the critical need for healthcare providers to address trauma-related concerns in clinical practice. Encouraging patients to adopt healthy coping strategies and facilitating access to professional support would be essential steps in mitigating the adverse health effects of trauma in this population.