Child maltreatment and adult cigarette smoking: a long-term developmental model.
OBJECTIVE
To examine: (a) child maltreatment's association with young adult daily cigarette smoking, (b) variations in this association by gender, and (c) mediators of this association.


METHODS
For all study participants (N = 1,125, 94% African American), data from multiple sources (e.g., child welfare records) were collected prospectively at child, adolescent, and young adult time points. Authors enlisted multivariate probit regression for objectives a and b versus exploratory and confirmatory mediation strategies for objective c.


RESULTS
Maltreatment was significantly associated with daily cigarette smoking. Although not moderated by gender, this relation was fully mediated by adolescent indicators of family support/stability, social adjustment, and cognitive/school performance along with young adult indicators of educational attainment, life satisfaction, substance abuse, and criminality.


CONCLUSIONS
Maltreatment places low-income, minority children at risk for daily cigarette smoking and other deleterious young adult health outcomes. Recommended treatment targets include family support/stability, emotion regulation, social skills, and cognitive/academic functioning.
Topitzes
James
J
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Enderis 1057, PO Box 786, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. topitzes@uwm.edu
Mersky
Joshua P
JP
Reynolds
Arthur J
AJ
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American