Citation

Mills R, Alati R, Strathearn L, Najman JM. Addiction 2014; 109(4): 672-680.

Affiliation

School of Medicine, University of Queensland, c/- Department of Paediatrics, Logan Hospital, PO Box 4096, Loganholme DC, Queensland, 4129, Australia. ryan.mills@health.qld.gov.au.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.12447

PMID

24325599

Abstract

AIMS: This study examines whether child maltreatment experience predicts adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. METHODS: The subjects were participants in the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a birth cohort of 7223, of whom 5158 (71.4%) were available for analysis at the 14-year follow-up. Child protection history was obtained from the state's child protection agency and confidentially linked. Exposure to reported child maltreatment was the primary predictor variable. The outcome variables were self-reported smoking and alcohol use. Associations were adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Reported child maltreatment was associated with early adolescent smoking (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.34) after adjustment for sociodemographic variables and coexisting alcohol use. Both neglect/emotional abuse (OR 2.03, 95% CI 12.0 to 3.42) and neglect/emotional abuse that included physical abuse (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.88) were associated with smoking after full adjustment including for coexisting smoking. After full adjustment including coexisting smoking, only child neglect/emotional abuse predicted early adolescent alcohol use (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.97), but not the other types of maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Reported child maltreatment predicts early adolescent smoking after adjusting for alcohol use, but does not predict alcohol use after adjustment for smoking. Both smoking and alcohol use are predicted by reported child neglect. Early adolescent smoking is also predicted by multi-type maltreatment that includes physical abuse.

Language: en