Exploring the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent cancer risk behaviours in the ALSPAC cohort

© 2024. The Author(s)..

BACKGROUND: Some modifiable risk factors for cancer originate during adolescence. While there is evidence indicating relationships between adverse childhood experiences and health risk behaviours generally, little is known about how childhood adversity influences the engagement of adolescents in cancer risk behaviours. This study aimed to determine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent cancer risk behaviours.

METHODS: Data were collected prospectively from birth to age 18 years on children born to mothers enrolled into the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort study. Multivariable linear regression models assessed relationships of a composite exposure measure comprised of adverse childhood experiences (total number of childhood adversities experienced from early infancy until age 9 years) with multiple cancer risk behaviours. The latter was expressed as a single continuous score for tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, unsafe sex, and physical inactivity, at ages 11, 14, 16 and 18 years. Analysis was carried out on the complete case and imputation samples of 1,368 and 7,358 participants respectively.

RESULTS: All adolescent cancer risk behaviours increased in prevalence as the adolescents grew older, except for obesity. Each additional adverse childhood experience was associated with a 0.25 unit increase in adolescent cancer risk behaviour (95% CI 0.16-0.34; p < 0.001). Individually, parental substance misuse (β 0.64, 95% CI 0.25-1.03, p < 0.001) and parental separation (β 0.56, 95% CI 0.27-0.86, p < 0.001) demonstrated the strongest evidence of association with engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviour.

CONCLUSION: Childhood adversity was associated with a greater degree of engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviours. This finding demonstrates the need for targeted primary and secondary prevention interventions that reduce engagement across multiple cancer risk behaviours for children and adolescents who have experienced adversity in childhood, such as parental substance misuse and separation, and reduce exposure to adversity.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:24

Enthalten in:

BMC public health - 24(2024), 1 vom: 05. Jan., Seite 95

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Okediji, Paul [VerfasserIn]
Troy, David [VerfasserIn]
Heron, Jon [VerfasserIn]
Kipping, Ruth R [VerfasserIn]
Martin, Richard M [VerfasserIn]
Wright, Caroline [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

ACE
ALSPAC
Adolescence
Adverse childhood experiences
Cancer risk behaviours
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
UK birth cohort

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 08.01.2024

Date Revised 06.03.2024

published: Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1186/s12889-023-17516-4

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM366736310