Adverse Childhood Experiences and Well-Being in Middle-Aged Korean Men: Mediating Role of Andropause
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact midlife well-being, however, their impact on middle-aged men is understudied. (1-5). This study aimed to examine the relationship between ACEs and well-being in middle-aged men, focusing on the mediating role of andropause symptoms to help develop strategies for improving men’s well-being.
This descriptive cross-sectional study included 444 community-dwelling men between the ages of 40 and 64 in Korea. Data were collected through an online survey. Individuals with psychological conditions impairing cognitive functions were excluded. Measures included PERMA-Profiler for well-being, ACEs International Questionnaire, and Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Males Questionnaire. SAS 9.4 was used for analysis. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to examine the mediating effect of andropause symptoms.
The average age of participants was 50.8 years (SD = 6.7), and their mean body mass index was 24.78 (SD = 3.01). Most participants were married (89.6%), and the largest group worked as managers/professionals (39.64%). ACEs had significant a positive effect on andropause symptoms (B=0.372, p<.001) and negative effect on well-being (B=-0.094, p=0.0028). Andropause symptoms were also significantly associated with well-being (B=-0.291, p<0.001). Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of ACEs on well-being through andropause symptoms (95% CI -0.146, -0.075). These findings indicate that andropause symptoms partially mediate the relationship between ACEs and well-being in middle-aged men. Managing andropause symptoms may help promote men’s well-being in midlife.
Notes
References:
1. Hadwen, B., Pila, E., & Thornton, J. (2022). The associations between adverse childhood experiences, physical and mental health, and physical activity: a scoping review. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 19(12), 847-854.
2. Mosley-Johnson, E., Garacci, E., Wagner, N., Mendez, C., Williams, J. S., & Egede, L. E. (2019). Assessing the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and social well-being: United States Longitudinal Cohort 1995–2014. Quality of Life Research, 28(4), 907-914.
3. Crandall, A., Miller, J. R., Cheung, A., Novilla, L. K., Glade, R., Novilla, M. L. B., ... & Hanson, C. L. (2019). ACEs and counter-ACEs: How positive and negative childhood experiences influence adult health. Child abuse & neglect, 96, 104089.
4. Bourassa, K. J., Moffitt, T. E., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., ... & Caspi, A. (2023). Childhood adversity and midlife health: shining a light on the black box of psychosocial mechanisms. Prevention Science, 24(5), 817-828.
5. Kim, K., Yaffe, K., Rehkopf, D. H., Zheng, Y., Nannini, D. R., Perak, A. M., ... & Hou, L. (2023). Association of adverse childhood experiences with accelerated epigenetic aging in midlife. JAMA network open, 6(6), e2317987-e2317987.
Sigma Membership
Lambda Alpha at-Large
Lead Author Affiliation
Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Andropause, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Psychological Well-Being, Middle Age, Male, Adult, South Korea
Recommended Citation
Park, Jeongok; Lee, Hyunju; and Park, Gyeryung, "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Well-Being in Middle-Aged Korean Men: Mediating Role of Andropause" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 22.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/22
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-24
Funder
National Research Foundation of Korea
Second Funder
Yonsei University College of Nursing
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Well-Being in Middle-Aged Korean Men: Mediating Role of Andropause
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact midlife well-being, however, their impact on middle-aged men is understudied. (1-5). This study aimed to examine the relationship between ACEs and well-being in middle-aged men, focusing on the mediating role of andropause symptoms to help develop strategies for improving men’s well-being.
This descriptive cross-sectional study included 444 community-dwelling men between the ages of 40 and 64 in Korea. Data were collected through an online survey. Individuals with psychological conditions impairing cognitive functions were excluded. Measures included PERMA-Profiler for well-being, ACEs International Questionnaire, and Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Males Questionnaire. SAS 9.4 was used for analysis. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to examine the mediating effect of andropause symptoms.
The average age of participants was 50.8 years (SD = 6.7), and their mean body mass index was 24.78 (SD = 3.01). Most participants were married (89.6%), and the largest group worked as managers/professionals (39.64%). ACEs had significant a positive effect on andropause symptoms (B=0.372, p<.001) and negative effect on well-being (B=-0.094, p=0.0028). Andropause symptoms were also significantly associated with well-being (B=-0.291, p<0.001). Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of ACEs on well-being through andropause symptoms (95% CI -0.146, -0.075). These findings indicate that andropause symptoms partially mediate the relationship between ACEs and well-being in middle-aged men. Managing andropause symptoms may help promote men’s well-being in midlife.
Description
ACEs can impact midlife well-being, however, their impact on middle-aged men is understudied. This study examined the association between ACEs and well-being, focusing on the mediating role of andropause symptoms. Findings showed both direct and indirect effects of ACEs on well-being through andropause. These results highlight the importance of managing andropause symptoms to promote midlife well-being in men.