Alcohol use among Minnesota students reporting adverse childhood experiences

The 2013 Minnesota Student Survey, completed by 162,034 fifth, eight, ninth, and eleventh graders, included numerous substance use and mental health questions as well as seven questions about adverse childhood experience (ACEs). The data are being analyzed to examine the association between alcohol use (past 30 day use, binge drinking, and age of first use), suicidality (past year ideation and attempts), individual ACEs, and overall ACE score, by grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and region. Much of the existing national research literature examines alcohol use among adults reporting ACEs, or adult recollection of age at first use of alcohol. Few studies have looked at alcohol use among adolescents reporting ACEs. Preliminary findings from the Minnesota Student Survey data reveal a strong association between ACEs and alcohol use. Students with an ACE score of seven were 6.7 times more likely than those with an ACE score of zero to report any past 30 day alcohol use, and 12.6 times more likely to report any past 30 day binge drinking. The relationship between ACEs and suicidality is even stronger, and students reporting suicidal ideation and/or attempts are significantly more likely to report alcohol use. These data can be used to assess community needs, mobilize support for prevention efforts, determine how to allocate prevention resources, and evaluate prevention efforts. Additionally, these findings reveal the importance of collaborating with community partners from multiple sectors to address shared risk factors such as ACEs.