Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study.
This study examined associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health and health-risk behaviours, including differences by sexual minority (SM) identity. We included 8,686 adolescents (males = 50.7%, SM = 10.3%) from the UK-wide Millennium Cohort Study with data on eight AC...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312161 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850104888245092352 |
|---|---|
| author | Rahul Chandrasekar Alexis Karamanos Annastazia Learoyd Amal R Khanolkar |
| author_facet | Rahul Chandrasekar Alexis Karamanos Annastazia Learoyd Amal R Khanolkar |
| author_sort | Rahul Chandrasekar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examined associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health and health-risk behaviours, including differences by sexual minority (SM) identity. We included 8,686 adolescents (males = 50.7%, SM = 10.3%) from the UK-wide Millennium Cohort Study with data on eight ACEs (e.g., domestic violence, parental psychological distress, bullying) recorded between ages 3-14 and a wide-range of health indicators and health-risk behaviours at age 17. Associations between 1) Sexual identity and ACEs were analysed using multinomial logistic regression and 2) Cumulative ACE scores and all outcomes were analysed using linear/logistic regression (with appropriate interactions assessing differences in ACE-outcome associations by sexual identity and adjusted for sex, ethnicity, and parental income). Results showed SM individuals had a higher prevalence of bullying (33.9% vs. 20.3%) and experiencing ≥3ACEs [Bisexual: RRR 1.87 (95% CI 1.35, 2.57), Gay/Lesbian RRR 2.08 (1.24, 3.48)]. The number of individuals experiencing adverse mental health outcomes increased in relation to greater ACE exposure with evidence for effect-moderation by sexual identity in certain outcomes. For example, among individuals with 0 ACEs, 8% of heterosexual adolescents reported psychological distress vs. 22% in bisexual and 17% in gay/lesbian peers, increasing to 16% in heterosexual vs. 41% in bisexual and 45% in gay/lesbian adolescents with ≥3 ACEs. Similar patterns were observed for other health indicators (e.g., self-harm, suicidality, sleep quality) and health-risk behaviours (e.g., risky sex). Our findings indicate that ACEs are associated (with a gradient) with worse mental health and well-being, and higher risk of some health-risk behaviours. However, the detrimental effect of ACEs on health is worse in SM adolescents compared to heterosexual peers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4c5d5dcb5f6945df9deb980818b8dea7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-4c5d5dcb5f6945df9deb980818b8dea72025-08-20T02:39:14ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-011912e031216110.1371/journal.pone.0312161Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study.Rahul ChandrasekarAlexis KaramanosAnnastazia LearoydAmal R KhanolkarThis study examined associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health and health-risk behaviours, including differences by sexual minority (SM) identity. We included 8,686 adolescents (males = 50.7%, SM = 10.3%) from the UK-wide Millennium Cohort Study with data on eight ACEs (e.g., domestic violence, parental psychological distress, bullying) recorded between ages 3-14 and a wide-range of health indicators and health-risk behaviours at age 17. Associations between 1) Sexual identity and ACEs were analysed using multinomial logistic regression and 2) Cumulative ACE scores and all outcomes were analysed using linear/logistic regression (with appropriate interactions assessing differences in ACE-outcome associations by sexual identity and adjusted for sex, ethnicity, and parental income). Results showed SM individuals had a higher prevalence of bullying (33.9% vs. 20.3%) and experiencing ≥3ACEs [Bisexual: RRR 1.87 (95% CI 1.35, 2.57), Gay/Lesbian RRR 2.08 (1.24, 3.48)]. The number of individuals experiencing adverse mental health outcomes increased in relation to greater ACE exposure with evidence for effect-moderation by sexual identity in certain outcomes. For example, among individuals with 0 ACEs, 8% of heterosexual adolescents reported psychological distress vs. 22% in bisexual and 17% in gay/lesbian peers, increasing to 16% in heterosexual vs. 41% in bisexual and 45% in gay/lesbian adolescents with ≥3 ACEs. Similar patterns were observed for other health indicators (e.g., self-harm, suicidality, sleep quality) and health-risk behaviours (e.g., risky sex). Our findings indicate that ACEs are associated (with a gradient) with worse mental health and well-being, and higher risk of some health-risk behaviours. However, the detrimental effect of ACEs on health is worse in SM adolescents compared to heterosexual peers.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312161 |
| spellingShingle | Rahul Chandrasekar Alexis Karamanos Annastazia Learoyd Amal R Khanolkar Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. |
| title_full | Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. |
| title_fullStr | Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. |
| title_short | Sexual identity-related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence-A national cohort study. |
| title_sort | sexual identity related inequalities in associations between adverse childhood experiences and health in late adolescence a national cohort study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312161 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rahulchandrasekar sexualidentityrelatedinequalitiesinassociationsbetweenadversechildhoodexperiencesandhealthinlateadolescenceanationalcohortstudy AT alexiskaramanos sexualidentityrelatedinequalitiesinassociationsbetweenadversechildhoodexperiencesandhealthinlateadolescenceanationalcohortstudy AT annastazialearoyd sexualidentityrelatedinequalitiesinassociationsbetweenadversechildhoodexperiencesandhealthinlateadolescenceanationalcohortstudy AT amalrkhanolkar sexualidentityrelatedinequalitiesinassociationsbetweenadversechildhoodexperiencesandhealthinlateadolescenceanationalcohortstudy |