Journal article
Gender-based differences in injecting drug use by young adults who experienced maltreatment in childhood: Findings from an Australian birth cohort study
Drug and alcohol dependence, Vol.173, pp.163-169
04/01/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.12.027
PMCID: PMC5638448
PMID: 28259090
Abstract
•All forms of childhood maltreatment predisposed to injecting drug use in females.•The only exception was sexual abuse.•Emotional abuse was associated with injecting drug use by males.•Reasons for the different risk in males and females are unclear.\nChildhood maltreatment has been associated with a range of adverse mental and psychosocial outcomes, but its association with subsequent injecting drug use (IDU) is less clear. This study investigates the associations between specific and multiple forms of substantiated childhood maltreatment and IDU reported at 21 years.\nThe Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy is a prospective birth cohort study. It recruited pregnant women at their first antenatal clinic visit and collected data on their children at 21 years. Data from 3750 participants (1769 males and 1981 females) were analysed using agency substantiated childhood maltreatment from birth to 14 years of age and self-reports of ever IDU at 21 years. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to control for possible confounders.\nThe sample’s mean age was 20.6 years. Some 4.1% (n=72) of males and 4.6% (n=91) of females had experienced substantiated childhood maltreatment. The prevalence of IDU was 6.6% (n=118) and 4.6% (n=91) for males and females, respectively. In adjusted models, all forms of substantiated childhood maltreatment, with the exception of sexual abuse, were associated with IDU in females (adjusted odds ratios (AORs)=2.69–3.02) but only emotional abuse (AOR=2.51) was associated with IDU in males. Multiply occurring forms of childhood maltreatment were also associated with IDU in females (AORs=2.36–3.41) but not in males.\nInjecting drug use appears to be an adverse outcome of childhood maltreatment particularly in females. Additional research is needed to better understand why females appear to be more affected than males.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Gender-based differences in injecting drug use by young adults who experienced maltreatment in childhood: Findings from an Australian birth cohort study
- Creators
- Amanuel Alemu Abajobir - School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, AustraliaSteve Kisely - School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, AustraliaGail Williams - School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, AustraliaAlexandra Clavarino - School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, AustraliaLane Strathearn - Department of Paediatrics, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAJake Moses Najman - School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Drug and alcohol dependence, Vol.173, pp.163-169
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.12.027
- PMID
- 28259090
- PMCID
- PMC5638448
- NLM abbreviation
- Drug Alcohol Depend
- ISSN
- 0376-8716
- eISSN
- 1879-0046
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/501100000925, name: National Health and Medical Research Council; DOI: 10.13039/501100000923, name: Australian Research Council; DOI: 10.13039/501100000925, name: NHMRC, award: 1009460; name: Australian government International Postgraduate Research; DOI: 10.13039/501100001794, name: The University of Queensland Centennial Scholarships; DOI: 10.13039/100000026, name: U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse, award: 2R01DA026437
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2017
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Record Identifier
- 9984070889902771
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