Tracie O Afifi1, Tamara Taillieu2, Samantha Salmon3, Isabel Garcés Davila4, Ashley Stewart-Tufescu5, Janique Fortier6, Shannon Struck7, Gordon J G Asmundson8, Jitender Sareen9, Harriet L MacMillan10. 1. Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: tracie.afifi@umanitoba.ca. 2. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: Tamara.Taillieu@umanitoba.ca. 3. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: salmons@myumanitoba.ca. 4. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: garcesm@myumanitoba.ca. 5. Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: Ashley.Stewart-Tufescu@umanitoba.ca. 6. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: janique.fortier@umanitoba.ca. 7. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: shannon.struck@umanitoba.ca. 8. Department of Psychology and Anxiety and Illness Behaviours Lab, University of Regina, Regina, Canada. Electronic address: Gordon.asmundson@uregina.ca. 9. Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address: Jitender.Sareen@umanitoba.ca. 10. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, and of Pediatrics, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: macmilnh@mcmaster.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common and related to substance use problems in adulthood. Less is known about these relationships in adolescence and if experiencing ACEs in addition to peer victimization (or bullying) would have an interaction or cumulative effect on the odds of adolescent substance use. METHOD: Data were used from the Well-Being and Experiences Study (The WE Study), a cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 14-17 years (n = 1002) in Manitoba, Canada collected between July 2017 and October 2018. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of experiencing any of the 12 ACEs was 75.1 %. The prevalence of any peer victimization (monthly or more often) was 24.1 %. All individual ACEs were associated with increased odds of substance use. No significant interaction effects between ACEs and peer victimization on substance use were found. Significant cumulative effects were found, indicating that experiencing both ACEs and peer victimization, compared with experiencing ACEs only, significantly increased the odds of substance use among adolescents. CONCLUSION: The odds of substance use becomes significantly greater if the adolescent with a history of ACEs also experiences peer victimization. Further research aimed at effective prevention of ACEs, peer victimization, and substance use is needed.
BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common and related to substance use problems in adulthood. Less is known about these relationships in adolescence and if experiencing ACEs in addition to peer victimization (or bullying) would have an interaction or cumulative effect on the odds of adolescent substance use. METHOD: Data were used from the Well-Being and Experiences Study (The WE Study), a cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 14-17 years (n = 1002) in Manitoba, Canada collected between July 2017 and October 2018. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of experiencing any of the 12 ACEs was 75.1 %. The prevalence of any peer victimization (monthly or more often) was 24.1 %. All individual ACEs were associated with increased odds of substance use. No significant interaction effects between ACEs and peer victimization on substance use were found. Significant cumulative effects were found, indicating that experiencing both ACEs and peer victimization, compared with experiencing ACEs only, significantly increased the odds of substance use among adolescents. CONCLUSION: The odds of substance use becomes significantly greater if the adolescent with a history of ACEs also experiences peer victimization. Further research aimed at effective prevention of ACEs, peer victimization, and substance use is needed.
Authors: Thanthirige Lakshika Maduwanthi Ruberu; Emily A Kenyon; Karen A Hudson; Francesca Filbey; Sarah W Feldstein Ewing; Swati Biswas; Pankaj K Choudhary Journal: Prev Med Rep Date: 2021-12-13
Authors: Tracie O Afifi; Samantha Salmon; Ashley Stewart-Tufescu; Tamara Taillieu; Janique Fortier; Harriet MacMillan; Joan Durrant; George W Holden Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2022-03-12 Impact factor: 3.295