Relationship between child abuse and adult smoking.
OBJECTIVE
A strong association between a history of child abuse and subsequent psychiatric disorders including substance use has been demonstrated. However, few studies have examined the relationship between child abuse and cigarette smoking in individuals without co-occurring psychiatric disorders. In this study, the relationship between severe childhood abuse and smoking were examined in a group of adults without significant psychopathology.


METHODS
Participants (N = 57) represent the control group of a larger study of substance dependence. Participants were without major DSM-IV psychopathology, including substance use disorders, major depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder. The Early Trauma Inventory [20] assessed history of exposure to traumatic events prior to age 18.


RESULTS
The majority of individuals with, as compared to without, a history of severe child abuse (79% vs. 47%, p = .02) were current cigarette smokers. The odds of smoking was four times as high in participants with versus without a severe childhood abuse history (OR = 4.0, p = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Although preliminary, the findings demonstrate a strong link between early childhood trauma and later adult cigarette smoking among individuals without significant substance use or other psychopathology.
Spratt
Eve G
EG
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. spratte@musc.edu
Back
Sudie E
SE
Yeatts
Sharon D
SD
Simpson
Annie N
AN
McRae-Clark
Aimee
A
Moran-Santa Maria
Megan M
MM
Price
Kimber L
KL
Hartwell
Karen T
KT
Brady
Kathleen T
KT
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology
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