title: Gender-based differences in injecting drug use by young adults who experienced maltreatment in childhood: Findings from an Australian birth cohort study.
abstract: Childhood maltreatment has been associated with a range of adverse mental and psychosocial outcomes, but its association with subsequent injecting drug use (IDU) is less clear. This study investigates the associations between specific and multiple forms of substantiated childhood maltreatment and IDU reported at 21 years.
  
  
  
  The Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy is a prospective birth cohort study. It recruited pregnant women at their first antenatal clinic visit and collected data on their children at 21 years. Data from 3750 participants (1769 males and 1981 females) were analysed using agency substantiated childhood maltreatment from birth to 14 years of age and self-reports of ever IDU at 21 years. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to control for possible confounders.
  
  
  
  The sample's mean age was 20.6 years. Some 4.1% (n=72) of males and 4.6% (n=91) of females had experienced substantiated childhood maltreatment. The prevalence of IDU was 6.6% (n=118) and 4.6% (n=91) for males and females, respectively. In adjusted models, all forms of substantiated childhood maltreatment, with the exception of sexual abuse, were associated with IDU in females (adjusted odds ratios (AORs)=2.69-3.02) but only emotional abuse (AOR=2.51) was associated with IDU in males. Multiply occurring forms of childhood maltreatment were also associated with IDU in females (AORs=2.36-3.41) but not in males.
  
  
  
  Injecting drug use appears to be an adverse outcome of childhood maltreatment particularly in females. Additional research is needed to better understand why females appear to be more affected than males.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia. Electronic address: amanuel.abajobir@uqconnect.edu.au.
authors.forename: Amanuel Alemu
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abajobir
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia; Departments of Psychiatry, Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kisely
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clavarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Lane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strathearn
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia; School of Social Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia; Queensland Alcohol and Drug Research and Education Centre, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Jake Moses
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Najman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Birth cohort; Childhood maltreatment; Injecting drug use; Young adults