TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between child maltreatment and problematic alcohol use in adulthood in a large multi-ethnic cohort
T2 - the HELIUS study
AU - de Waal, M. M.
AU - Lok, A.
AU - van Zuiden, M.
AU - Galenkamp, H.
AU - Goudriaan, A. E.
N1 - Funding Information: The HELIUS study is funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation (no. 2010T084; K Stronks), the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw; no. 200500003; K Stronks), the European Union (FP-7; no. 278901; K Stronks), and the European Fund for the Integration of non-EU immigrants (EIF; no. 2013EIF013; K Stronks). The study reported here was additionally supported by an innovative VIDI grant provided by ZonMw (no. 91713354; A Goudriaan) and a grant provided by Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ (no. 244; A Arntz, M de Waal). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2022/12/9
Y1 - 2022/12/9
N2 - Aims There is evidence that child maltreatment is associated with problematic alcohol use later in life. However, previous epidemiological studies that have examined the link between child maltreatment and adult problematic alcohol use have not considered ethnic differences. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between child maltreatment and adult problematic alcohol use among six ethnic groups in the Netherlands, in a large, urban sample. Methods This study used baseline data from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study: a large-scale, multi-ethnic prospective cohort study conducted in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Child maltreatment, current problematic alcohol use and several potential confounders (e.g. parental alcohol use) were assessed in participants (N = 23 356) of Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan origin. With logistic regression analyses, we examined effect modification by ethnicity on the association between child maltreatment and problematic alcohol use. Furthermore, we explored effect modification by ethnicity for specific types of child maltreatment, namely: physical, sexual and psychological abuse and emotional neglect. Results Effect modification by ethnicity was present. Stronger associations between child maltreatment and problematic alcohol use were found in all ethnic minority groups compared to the Dutch reference group. Particularly strong associations between all four types of child maltreatment and alcohol use problems were found for the Moroccan origin group. Conclusions This study adds to a growing body of evidence that child maltreatment is associated with problematic alcohol use in adulthood. In addition, our findings indicate that ethnicity impacts this relationship. Although problematic alcohol use was more prevalent in the Dutch origin group, associations with child maltreatment were stronger in ethnic minority groups. Future studies on child maltreatment and alcohol use problems should also examine ethnic disparities and should further unravel how these disparities can be explained.
AB - Aims There is evidence that child maltreatment is associated with problematic alcohol use later in life. However, previous epidemiological studies that have examined the link between child maltreatment and adult problematic alcohol use have not considered ethnic differences. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between child maltreatment and adult problematic alcohol use among six ethnic groups in the Netherlands, in a large, urban sample. Methods This study used baseline data from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study: a large-scale, multi-ethnic prospective cohort study conducted in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Child maltreatment, current problematic alcohol use and several potential confounders (e.g. parental alcohol use) were assessed in participants (N = 23 356) of Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan origin. With logistic regression analyses, we examined effect modification by ethnicity on the association between child maltreatment and problematic alcohol use. Furthermore, we explored effect modification by ethnicity for specific types of child maltreatment, namely: physical, sexual and psychological abuse and emotional neglect. Results Effect modification by ethnicity was present. Stronger associations between child maltreatment and problematic alcohol use were found in all ethnic minority groups compared to the Dutch reference group. Particularly strong associations between all four types of child maltreatment and alcohol use problems were found for the Moroccan origin group. Conclusions This study adds to a growing body of evidence that child maltreatment is associated with problematic alcohol use in adulthood. In addition, our findings indicate that ethnicity impacts this relationship. Although problematic alcohol use was more prevalent in the Dutch origin group, associations with child maltreatment were stronger in ethnic minority groups. Future studies on child maltreatment and alcohol use problems should also examine ethnic disparities and should further unravel how these disparities can be explained.
KW - Alcohol abuse
KW - child abuse
KW - epidemiology
KW - maltreatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143566002&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796022000695
DO - https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796022000695
M3 - Article
C2 - 36484150
SN - 2045-7960
VL - 31
SP - e87
JO - Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences
JF - Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences
M1 - e87
ER -