BackgroundThis study assesses the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the cognitive function of older adults. Furthermore, it examines the potential underlying mechanism involving education level and the subjective “feeling of loneliness” (FOL).MethodsAnalyzing a population-based cohort sample from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study database, 8,365 subjects aged 45 or older were interviewed in 2018. Ten ACEs indicators were measured using life history questionnaires assessed at 2014. FOL was assessed using a single item from 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Cognitive function was assessed using a structured questionnaire comprising four dimensions: memory, orientation, computation, and visuospatial abilities.ResultsIn the fully adjusted model, which accounted for age, gender, marital status, smoke, drink, rural residence, and education levels of both mothers and fathers, the linear regression analysis indicated that ACEs were inversely associated the lower education level (B = −0.058, 95% CI = −0.090, −0.026, p