Childhood Maltreatment and Early Alcohol Use Among High-Risk Adolescents

Merle E. Hamburger, Rebecca T. Leeb, Monica Haavisto Swahn

2008-03-01articleJournal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs156 citationsclosed

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Child Abuse and Trauma Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes Child Welfare and Adoption

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Child maltreatment (CM) is prevalent among U.S. youth and has been associated with subsequent maladaptive behaviors, including substance use. The current study examines the associations between early child maltreatment and (1) preteen alcohol-use initiation and (2) heavy episodic drinking among students in a large study of adolescents. METHOD: The Youth Violence Survey is a cross-sectional survey of public school students enrolled in Grades 7,9, 11, and 12 in a school district in a high-risk community. The analysis sample was limited to students who provided complete data on all relevant variables (N= 3,559). Fifty-two percent of the analysis sample was female. Early child maltreatment was defined as witnessing domestic violence and experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 10 years. Outcome variables include ever drinking alcohol, preteen alcohol-use initiation, and heavy episodic drinking. RESULTS: Witnessing domestic violence, experiencing physical abuse, and experiencing sexual abuse were significantly associated with preteen alcohol-use initiation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26-1.91; AOR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.69-2.63; AOR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.16-2.14, respectively). Students who experienced one or more types of maltreatment were 1.5-3 times more likely to report preteen alcohol-use initiation. Heavy episodic drinking was associated only with childhood sexual abuse in boys (AOR = 2.62, 95% CI: 1.52-4.50). CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and treatment of the negative impact of early child maltreatment may delay and reduce alcohol use.

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Cited by

2009Does Physical Abuse in Early Childhood Predict Substance Use in Adolescence and Early Adulthood?

2011Longitudinal pathways of victimization, substance use, and delinquency: Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents

2012Exposure to childhood neglect and physical abuse and developmental trajectories of heavy episodic drinking from early adolescence into young adulthood

2009Comparing early adult outcomes of maltreated and non-maltreated children: A prospective longitudinal investigation

2018