Exploring the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent cancer risk behaviours in the ALSPAC cohort.
BMC Public Health
; 24(1): 95, 2024 01 05.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38183020
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Some modifiable risk factors for cancer originate during adolescence. While there is evidence indicating relationships between adverse childhood experiences and health risk behaviours generally, little is known about how childhood adversity influences the engagement of adolescents in cancer risk behaviours. This study aimed to determine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent cancer risk behaviours.METHODS:
Data were collected prospectively from birth to age 18 years on children born to mothers enrolled into the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort study. Multivariable linear regression models assessed relationships of a composite exposure measure comprised of adverse childhood experiences (total number of childhood adversities experienced from early infancy until age 9 years) with multiple cancer risk behaviours. The latter was expressed as a single continuous score for tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, unsafe sex, and physical inactivity, at ages 11, 14, 16 and 18 years. Analysis was carried out on the complete case and imputation samples of 1,368 and 7,358 participants respectively.RESULTS:
All adolescent cancer risk behaviours increased in prevalence as the adolescents grew older, except for obesity. Each additional adverse childhood experience was associated with a 0.25 unit increase in adolescent cancer risk behaviour (95% CI 0.16-0.34; p < 0.001). Individually, parental substance misuse (ß 0.64, 95% CI 0.25-1.03, p < 0.001) and parental separation (ß 0.56, 95% CI 0.27-0.86, p < 0.001) demonstrated the strongest evidence of association with engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviour.CONCLUSION:
Childhood adversity was associated with a greater degree of engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviours. This finding demonstrates the need for targeted primary and secondary prevention interventions that reduce engagement across multiple cancer risk behaviours for children and adolescents who have experienced adversity in childhood, such as parental substance misuse and separation, and reduce exposure to adversity.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Contexto en salud:
2_ODS3
/
8_ODS3_consumo_sustancias_psicoactivas
Problema de salud:
2_sustancias_psicoativas
/
8_alcohol
Asunto principal:
Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias
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Experiencias Adversas de la Infancia
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Public Health
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido