Exploring associations of adverse childhood experiences with patterns of 11 health risk behaviors in Chinese adolescents: focus on gender differences

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Research

Xinyu Zhang¹  Shaojun Xu¹  Huiqiong Xu¹  Fangbiao Tao¹  Jiaojiao Wang¹  Yang Xie¹  Yi Zhang¹  Yuhui Wan¹ 

[1] Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China;Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China;NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China;Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China;

关键词: Adverse childhood experiences;    Health risk behaviors;    Adolescent;    Gender;    Latent class analysis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13034-023-00575-1

 received in 2022-11-24, accepted in 2023-02-07,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

PurposeAdolescents exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are at increased risk for health-compromising behaviors. However, few studies have investigated how ACEs correlate with patterns of health risk behaviors (HRBs) during adolescence, a crucial developmental period. The aim was to extend the current knowledge about the relationship between ACEs and HRB patterns among adolescents, and to explore gender differences.MethodsA multi-centered population-based survey was conducted in 24 middle schools in three provinces across China between 2020 and 2021. A total of 16,853 adolescents effectively completed anonymous questionnaires covering exposure to eight ACE categories and 11 HRBs. Clusters were identified using latent class analysis. Logistic regression models were utilized to test the association between them.ResultsThere were four classes of HRB patterns: “Low all” (58.35%), “Unhealthy lifestyle” (18.23%), “Self-harm” (18.42%), and “High all” (5.0%). There were significant differences between HRB patterns in terms of the different numbers and types of ACEs in three logistic regression models. Specifically, compared to “Low all,” different types of ACEs were positively associated with the three other HRB patterns, and there were significant trends toward increase in the three latent classes of HRBs with higher ACEs. In general, females with ACEs had a higher risk of “High all” except sexual abuse than males.ConclusionOur study comprehensively considers the association between ACEs and aggregation categories of HRBs. The results support efforts to improve clinical healthcare, and future work may explore protective factors based on individual, family, and peer education to mitigate the negative trajectory of ACEs.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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