title: Childhood abuse and the use of inhalants: differences by degree of use.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using two existing ethnographic studies of drug-involved adults, this study evaluates the association between child-abuse victimization and levels of involvement in inhalant use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Historical accounts of childhood exposure to physical or sexual abuse were compared among nonusers of inhalants (n = 197), light inhalant users (n = 64), and heavy inhalant users (n = 24). Crude and adjusted odds ratios were used to compare informants with no history of inhalant use with those having a history of light inhalant use and those having a history of heavy inhalant use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heavy inhalant use was associated with history of any child abuse (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 4.6) and physical abuse (adjusted OR = 3.8). Light inhalant use showed no association with child-abuse history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Child abuse may be an important correlate of extensive involvement in inhalant use. The findings invite speculation with respect to a hypothetical causal role for child abuse in the etiology of inhalant use. The lack of support for causality in this study underscores the need for replication and more carefully designed longitudinal research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fendrich
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mackesy-Amiti
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wislar
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012997:Solvents; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives; D012997:Solvents