Disability and Health Journal最新文献

{"title":"Association between tooth loss and mortality in older adults with an intellectual disability.","authors":"Katrina Byrne, Bahman Honari, Louise Lynch, Martin McMahon, Andrew Wormwald, Philip McCallion, Blánaid Daly, Mary McCarron, Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102179","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While life expectancy for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) has improved, health inequalities, premature ageing and elevated mortality persist. Oral health is rarely considered as a determinant of survival, despite evidence in general populations linking tooth loss to increased mortality.</p><p><strong>Objective/hypothesis: </strong>To determine whether tooth loss predicts all-cause and respiratory mortality in older adults with ID.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 13-year longitudinal analysis of 752 adults with ID aged ≥40 years at Wave 1 (2009/2010) of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Dentition was categorised as dentate, edentulous with dentures, or edentulous without dentures. Fully adjusted models used complete cases (n = 742). Mortality was determined through death-certificate linkage to March 2023 using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over follow-up, 225 participants with baseline dentition data died (29.9%), including 114 (15.2%) from respiratory causes. Mortality was highest among those edentulous without dentures (54.4%), compared with dentate participants (24.3%) and those edentulous with dentures (29.9%). After adjustment, edentulism without dentures remained associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.21-2.35; p = .002) and respiratory mortality (HR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22-3.01; p = .005); edentulism with dentures was not significantly associated with either outcome.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Complete tooth loss, particularly without denture replacement, was associated with increased mortality in adults with ID after adjustment for measured covariates. Preventive dental care and timely prosthodontic rehabilitation should be prioritised within disability health and ageing policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102179"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health and family functioning in parents with cognitive impairment: A systematic review.","authors":"Julie Ja, Allie Pert, Michelle Benstead, Sebastian Kellett-Renzella, John W Toumbourou, Keriann Little, Jesse Shapiro","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102175","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>For parents with cognitive impairment, poorer mental health commonly co-occurs. How parental mental health is considered in interventions aimed at improving parenting practices within service provision has yet to be systematically reviewed.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the effects of parental mental health on family functioning outcomes for parents with cognitive impairment, including contextual and mediating factors, as well as its role within parenting intervention programs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review of five databases was conducted in: APA PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, SocINDEX with Full Text, and Scopus. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were analysed using a narrative synthesis approach. Methodology quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklists for Systematic Reviews.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nine studies were included in the final review. In parents with cognitive impairment, higher levels of parental mental health conditions positively correlated with challenges in family functioning, including child behavioural outcomes, child cognitive and mental health outcomes, and parenting practices. Lower levels of social support also played a key role in increased parent stress and poorer parental mental health. Parental mental health was found to mediate the effects of social support and neighbourhood disadvantage on parenting practices and child outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Social support should be considered alongside parental mental health impacts on family functioning outcomes for parents with cognitive impairment. Longitudinal and evaluation research is needed to understand the impact parental mental health conditions can have on the family system so that tailored services can be offered in service provision.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102175"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149225222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual and reproductive health service receipt among sexually active adolescent and young adult men by race and ethnicity and disability status.","authors":"Kelsey Zionskowski, Jessica Hoyle, J Dalton Stevens, Anne Valentine, Ilhom Akobirshoev, Monika Mitra, Willi Horner-Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Little is known about receipt of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among adolescent and young adult men with disabilities or by race and ethnicity.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine differences in SRH service receipt by disability status, race, and ethnicity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed 2011-2019 National Survey of Family Growth data for sexually active men aged 15-25 (n = 4802). Groups reflected disability status and race and ethnicity, with non-Hispanic White men without disabilities as the reference. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Men with disabilities had similar or higher receipt of the SRH services examined. Compared with non-Hispanic White men without disabilities, non-Hispanic White men with disabilities had higher prevalence of STI testing (aPR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.42-2.28) and being asked about type of sex (aPR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.34-1.88). Hispanic men with disabilities had higher prevalence of being asked about type of sex (aPR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.65-2.68) and receiving family planning services (aPR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.30-2.01). Non-Hispanic Black men with disabilities had the highest service receipt, including STI testing (aPR, 2.56; 95% CI, 2.39-2.74) and being asked about condom use (aPR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.65-2.70).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Contrary to expectations, men with disabilities across racial and ethnic groups had higher SRH service receipt than non-Hispanic White men without disabilities. However, receipt remained low, with fewer than one-third receiving many recommended services, indicating missed opportunities to provide SRH care.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102177"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promotion of physical activity for persons with mobility disabilities: The healthcare provider role and perspective.","authors":"Bridget Kraus, Sue Tucker, Kim Walker, Carla Walker, Annie Morrow, Meghan Morgan, Tiernan Fox, Madison Williams, Krista Porzelt, Kerri Morgan","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Persons with mobility disabilities (PwMD) face more secondary health complications than the general population and are one of the least physically active groups in the United States leading to costly health care utilization and decreased functional engagement. It is possible that a myriad of negative health outcomes could be reduced by increased physical activity (PA) engagement. Despite frequent interaction with PwMD, it is unclear how healthcare providers (HCPs) are promoting PA within the current healthcare landscape.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this research study was to explore the current state of rehabilitation services to educate and prepare PwMD to engage in community-based PA.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This mixed-methods study utilized a 1) cross-sectional survey and 2) semi-structured interviews of HCPs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>122 HCPs completed the quantitative survey and 21 completed follow-up semi-structured interviews. While HCPs indicated they do educate on PA; they don't feel PwMD are able to engage in PA successfully by inpatient discharge and move to outpatient or community settings. The interviews expanded upon this generating the following themes: Balancing Barriers and Individualization, Unclear Roles and Process, Prefer to Refer, and Preconceptions and Bias.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, this study highlighted several key factors that influence how and why HCPs promote PA and what their current perceptions and knowledge of it is. It is clear from the data that both proximal and distal changes to healthcare provision at the provider and systems levels could facilitate improved PA promotion for PwMD.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102178"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of disability acquisition on affordability of oral health care in Australian adults.","authors":"Gagandeep Kaur, Bismi Mohamed Ismail, Matthew Lim, Barbara Janssens, Yi Yang, Alex Blokland, Ankur Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>It is unknown if people who acquire a disability avoid oral health care due to financial barriers to a greater extent than those without a disability.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effect of disability acquisition on the affordability of oral health care among Australians.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Longitudinal data from waves 14 to 18 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study was used. A quantitative data analysis was conducted using inverse probability weighting (IPW). Participants without disability in wave 15, who acquired a disability or an activity-limiting long-term health condition in subsequent waves, were considered exposed compared to those without disability across all waves. The outcome was affordability of oral health care (wave 18). Confounders were measured at wave 14.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 9476 individuals were analysed. Disability acquisition was associated with a 3.7% absolute increase in the risk of unaffordability of oral health care (RD: 0.037; 95% CI: 0.023, 0.051) and a twofold higher relative risk (RR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.63, 2.48) compared with no disability. The effect of acquired disability on unaffordability of oral health care was more pronounced in working-age adults than those over 55years.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Access to oral health care among adults who acquired a disability was impeded by affordability, particularly among working-age adults. This highlights the need for strengthened oral health care policies that ensure affordable and equitable access to reduce the unmet need among people with disability. This is especially important for working-age adults who face gaps in support and financial protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102176"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decomposing the drivers of polypharmacy disparities in United States adults with and without physical disabilities.","authors":"Tanya Goyal, Hao Wang, Lakshmi Sraddha Pedaprolu, Sophia Mitra, Usha Sambamoorthi","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102174","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Polypharmacy, the concurrent use of multiple medications, is a growing public health concern, particularly among adults with physical disabilities. Individuals with physical disabilities often experience a higher burden of chronic conditions and greater healthcare needs, increasing risk of polypharmacy.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine differences in polypharmacy between adults with/without physical disabilities and identify the extent to which observable clinical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors explain these differences.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This is a cross-sectional study using the 2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative dataset of the U.S. non-institutionalized population. Adults aged ≥18 years (N = 11,242) were included. Polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent use of medications from ≥6 therapeutic drug classes during a MEPS interview round (approximately 180-days). Physical disability was defined using self-reported limitations in physical functioning. We applied Rao-Scott Chi-square tests, survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression, and nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to assess disparities and quantify contributing factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Polypharmacy was more prevalent among adults with physical disabilities (51.9%) compared to those without (9.0%, p < 0.001). In fully adjusted models, physical disability remained significantly associated with polypharmacy (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.01-1.70, p = 0.038). Decomposition analysis revealed that 80.9% of the disparity was explained by measured characteristics, with health status and socioeconomic factors contributing the largest proportions, whereas 19.1% remained unexplained.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adults with physical disabilities experience substantially higher rates of polypharmacy, largely explained by differences in health status and socioeconomic characteristics. These findings highlight potential targets for interventions to optimize medication use and reduce disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102174"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comply or don't fly: Airport security screening experiences of people who have limb loss and limb difference.","authors":"Aaron Burnell, M G Finco, Olivia Keller, Whitney Doyle, Cody L McDonald","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102171","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>People who have limb loss (amputation etiology) or limb difference (congenital etiology) can experience additional challenges with airport security screening due to their assistive device or prosthesis. However, perspectives on airport security screening from people with limb loss and limb difference remain unreported.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This survey elicited experiences of airport security screening in the United States from people who have limb loss and limb difference to inform recommendations for the Transportation Security Administration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Amputee Coalition conducted an anonymous online survey. Close-ended questions (demographics, frequency of and satisfaction with airport security screening) and three open-ended questions (experiences with airport security screening) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inductive codebook reflexive analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of respondents (n = 288) who provided demographics, most were White (n = 218; 83%), 55+ years of age (n = 148; 56%), had one leg or foot affected (n = 214; 80%), use a prosthesis (n = 245; 93%), or use a wheelchair (n = 84; 61%). Nearly half experienced 2-5 airport security screenings in the past year (n = 79; 49%). A third were satisfied (n = 83; 31%) with TSA agents. Five themes were developed: 1) screenings are excessively time consuming, 2) treatment from TSA agents is dehumanizing, 3) policies and TSA agents are inconsistent, 4) responsibility to educate TSA agents, and 5) dread flying due to TSA experiences.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>To address these concerns, TSA should develop and require training that includes people who have limb loss and limb difference, as well as provide more detailed information on the TSA Cares website.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102171"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Piloting real-time assessment of movement behaviors in adults with mobility disabilities: a feasibility study.","authors":"Chelsea L Kracht, Annie M Rice, Taylor Collier, Richard A Washburn, Joseph E Donnelly, Anna M Gorczyca","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102173","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adults with mobility disabilities (MD) experience significant health disparities, including high rates of obesity and low levels of physical activity, due to a range of persistent barriers. Addressing these challenges requires innovative strategies that capture real-world behaviors and contexts to inform tailored interventions.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess movement behaviors in adults with overweight or obesity and a MD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-four adults with overweight or obesity (body mass index >25 kg/m²) and a permanent MD participated in a 5-week observational study. The EMA protocol included two 7-day assessment periods separated by a 3-week no-contact interval. Participants completed four EMA surveys/day (morning, evening, and two signal-contingent) via smartphone. Demographics and anthropometrics were self-reported at baseline. Movement behaviors were assessed via wrist-worn accelerometer. Feasibility of the EMA protocol was defined as completion of >75% of prompts and a mean feasibility questionnaire score of ≥4.0 on a 5.0-point scale. Acceptability was measured via questionnaire on a 5.0-point scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants (∼55.2 ± 13.3 years, 79% female) completed 303 morning, 586 signal-contingent, and 303 evening surveys. Mean moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was 36.6 ± 27.3 min/day; total physical activity was 147.4 ± 76.3 min/day. EMA compliance was 91.6%, exceeding feasibility criteria. Questionnaire results indicated high feasibility (4.6 ± 0.4) and acceptability (4.5 ± 0.5).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>EMA of movement behaviors is feasible and acceptable in adults with MD and overweight or obesity. These findings support the use of EMA in future behavioral interventions targeting movement and health outcomes in this underserved population.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal health in women with spina bifida: A scoping review.","authors":"Yoonhye Ji, Eun Kyoung Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>An increasing number of women with spina bifida are reaching reproductive age and may consider pregnancy. However, limited evidence on how spina bifida affects maternal health can hinder tailored counseling and guidance, contributing to uncertainty during pregnancy-related decision-making.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing literature on maternal health among women with spina bifida, focusing on pregnancy and childbirth outcomes, women's health-related outcomes, care needs, and health-related decision-making across pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting contexts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the five-stage framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. PubMed and CINAHL Plus with Full Text were searched using indexed terms and Boolean operators to identify articles published from January 1949 to December 2025.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 2668 records screened, 39 met inclusion criteria. The evidence base was dominated by case reports, with large-scale secondary analyses and qualitative studies emerging recently. Evidence was mapped across pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Pregnancy-related evidence included clinical changes and complications, prenatal assessment findings, and subjective pregnancy experiences. Childbirth-related evidence included delivery methods, anesthesia management, delivery characteristics and complications, postpartum strategies reported in case reports, post-delivery symptom changes, and subjective childbirth experiences. Parenting evidence was limited to subjective experiences describing adaptive caregiving strategies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This review synthesizes 77 years of research on maternal health among women with spina bifida across pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. The findings highlight clinical insights and evidence gaps, underscoring the need for condition-specific, life-course-oriented care and research addressing postpartum recovery, parenting, and women's physical, social, and psychological well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102172"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149082398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and substance use among Deaf American Sign Language users.","authors":"Amanda Hinson-Enslin, Heather McClintock, Kathy Taylor, Jared Embree, Annie Welch, Deron Emmons, Darlene Zangara, Mary Ann Barth, Barb Dunaway","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102170","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly associated with increased risk for substance use across the life course, yet limited research has examined this relationship among deaf individuals using culturally and linguistically appropriate instruments. Deaf individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their preferred language experience higher rates of ACEs than the general population and face unique barriers to substance use prevention and treatment services.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examined the association between ACEs and alcohol and drug use among deaf adults who use ASL as their preferred language.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 290 deaf adults aged 18 years and older using ASL-translated instruments, including the Adverse Childhood Experiences-ASL (ACE-ASL), United States Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-ASL (USAUDIT-ASL), and Drug Abuse Screening Test-ASL (DAST-ASL). Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between cumulative ACE scores and alcohol and drug use outcomes, adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, income, and language preference.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher ACE-ASL scores were significantly associated with greater alcohol use risk (USAUDIT-ASL: B = 1.00, p < .001) and drug use risk (DAST-ASL: B = 0.46, p < .001). Differences were associated with substance use outcomes among males, being younger, and different racial/ethnic groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings align with broader ACEs literature while extending evidence to a historically underrepresented population using linguistically accessible measures. Results underscore the need for trauma-informed, culturally and linguistically responsive prevention, counseling, and substance use treatment programs for deaf individuals, as well as early interventions to reduce ACE-related health disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102170"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149031891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}