Child maltreatment and substances use throughout adolescence and adulthood: Data from a Brazilian Birth Cohort

Child maltreatment has been associated with substance use later in life, but few studies have used repeated measures.

To assess the association between child maltreatment and use of psychoactive substances from adolescence to early adulthood, and whether this differs by sex.

3641 participants from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil.

Child maltreatment (psychological, physical and sexual abuse, and physical neglect) was assessed up to age 15 and use of psychoactive substances (smoking, harmful use of alcohol and use of illicit drugs) was assessed at ages 15, 18, and 22 years. Associations between child maltreatment and use of substances at each time point were analyzed using logistic regression, adjusted for confounders.

Overall, child maltreatment was associated with substance use, and the strength of the associations decreased over time. E.g., the association between psychological abuse and harmful use of alcohol was OR 2.17 (95%CI 1.80, 2.62; p-value < 0.001) at 15 years, OR 1.61 (95%CI 1.31, 1.97; p-value < 0.001) at 18 years, and OR1.55 (95%CI 1.22, 1.96; p-value < 0.001) at 22 years. When sex differences were evident, stronger associations were observed among females. E.g., the association between physical abuse and smoking at 15 years was OR 3.49 (95%CI 2.17, 5.62) in females and OR 0.87 (95%CI 0.30, 2.52) in males (p-value for sex interaction = 0.041).

Child maltreatment was associated with psychoactive substance in adolescence and early adulthood. Strategies to prevent use of substances could benefit those who suffered maltreatment in childhood.