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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
E. Anne Lown, DrPH, Alcohol Research Group, UC Berkeley, School of Public Health, 2000 Hearst Street, Suite 2000, Berkeley, CA 94709, (510) 642-5208, alown@arg.org, Patricia A. McDaniel, PhD, Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, Marjorie Robertson, PhD, Alcohol Research Group-Public Health Institute, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, and Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD, Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 2000 Hearst Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709-2130.
Background Child abuse has been linked to alcohol dependence in previous alcohol treatment and population-based surveys. Using a national survey, this study examines the prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse and its association with lifetime alcohol dependence. Methods Data come from the 2000/01 National Alcohol Survey, a random digit dial household survey including 4,954 women. Alcohol dependence is defined utilizing DSM-IV criteria. Results Child physical abuse (CPA) was reported by 17% (n=667) of women, and child sexual abuse (CSA) was reported by 4.5% (n=176) of women. Either type of abuse was reported by 18.8%. Abused women were different from non-abused women on many alcohol measures. Women reporting both CSA and CPA were significantly more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence in bivariate analyses (OR, 3.6; 95% CI 2.4-5.6 and OR, 2.5; CI 1.9-3.4 respectively). Compared to other women in the sample, abused women were also more likely to be current drinkers, to drink more drinks per day on average, to initiate drinking at a younger age, and to consume 5+ drinks daily during their teen years. In multivariate analyses, child abuse remained a significant predictor of lifetime alcohol dependence (OR, 1.9; CI 1.4-2.7). Conclusion Child physical or sexual abuse brings elevated risk for alcohol dependence and other problem drinking behaviors among U.S. women. Early identification of child abuse especially among younger women could help to prevent future alcohol dependence.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Women's Health, Sexual Assault
Related Web page: www.arg.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.