Relationship between alcohol consumption and adverse childhood experiences in college students-A cross-sectional study

Karolína Šulejová; Dávid Líška; Erika Liptáková; Mária Szántová; Michal Patarák; Tomáš Koller; Ladislav Batalik; Michael Makara; Ľubomír Skladaný

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1004651

Relationship between alcohol consumption and adverse childhood experiences in college students-A cross-sectional study

Front Psychol. 2022 Oct 12:13:1004651. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1004651. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, HEGITO (Div Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant), F. D. Roosevelt Teaching Hospital, Slovak Medical University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
² Faculty of Arts, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
³ Faculty of Economics, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovakia.
⁴ 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty of Comenius University Bratislava, University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia.
⁵ Psychiatric Clinic, F. D. Roosevelt Teaching Hospital, Slovak Medical University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
⁶ Gastroenterology and Hepatology Subdivision, 5th Department of Internal Medicine, Comenius University Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
⁷ Central Hospital of Southern Pest, Budapest, Hungary.
⁸ Department of Rehabilitation, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia.
⁹ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
¹⁰ 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Safarik University, Košice, Slovakia.

Abstract

Background: Alcohol consumption is an important issue. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect alcohol consumption later in life. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to test the association between ACE and the alcohol consumption in college students.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study on college students was conducted during December 2021 and January 2022, Through the school web system, students received a standard questionnaire on alcohol consumption (AUDIT) and ACEs. The study involved 4,044 participants from three universities in Slovakia.

Result: Compared to men, the incidence of emotional abuse by a parent, physical abuse by a parent, and sexual abuse was significantly higher in women (p < 0.001). Furthermore, women reported greater emotional and physical neglect (p < 0.001). The incidence of a high or very high AUDIT score in college students with ACE-0, ACE-1, ACE-2, ACE-3, and ACE-4+ was 3.8, 4.7, 4.1, 6.4, and 9.3%, respectively.

Conclusion: More adverse childhood experiences were associated with increased alcohol consumption in both male and female university students. Baseline drinking was higher in male students, but increased drinking in relation to an increase in ACEs was higher in female students. These results point to gender-specific driving forces and targets for intervention.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; adverse childhood experience; alcohol consumption; audit; negative impact pandemic.