OBJECTIVES: This study assesses the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and prescription opioid use during pregnancy. METHODS: This study uses data on 2,999 individuals from the 2019 and 2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) from North Dakota and South Dakota. The relationship between ACEs and prescription opioid use during pregnancy is examined using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of prescription opioid use increases alongside more ACE exposure. Compared to those with no ACEs, recent mothers with three or more ACEs have a 2.4 greater odds of prescription opioid use during pregnancy (aOR [adjusted odds ratio] = 2.437; 95% CI [confidence interval] = 1.319, 4.503). CONCLUSION: Exposure to three or more ACEs are associated with a higherrisk of prescription opioid use during pregnancy. Additional research is needed better understand the mechanisms that link ACEs and prescription opioid use during pregnancy, as well as how to best support those with ACEs exposure in a trauma-informed manner to reduce the risk of substance use.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue, and when experienced during pregnancy, IPV substantially harms maternal health. Still, limited research has examined how IPV may influence prenatal oral health and dental care utilization. This study investigates the relationship between IPV during pregnancy and womens oral health experiences. DATA: Data are from 31 states from 2016-2019 in the United States that participated in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (N = 85,289)-a population-based surveillance system of live births conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between physical IPV during pregnancy (measured by being pushed, hit, slapped, kicked, choked, or physically hurt any other way by a current or ex-husband/partner) and various oral health experiences. FINDINGS: Women who experienced prenatal physical IPV reported worse oral health experiences during pregnancy, including being more likely to report not knowing it was important to care for their teeth, not talking about dental health with a provider, needing to see a dentist for a problem, going to see a dentist for a problem, as well as having more unmet dental care needs. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings indicate that women who experience physical IPV during pregnancy have lower knowledge of prenatal oral health care, more oral health problems, and greater unmet dental care needs. Given the risk of IPV and oral health problems for maternal and infant health, the study findings point to greater attention toward the oral health needs of IPV-exposed pregnant women.

Objective

To determine the associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), adolescent screen time, and physical activity during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data (2016-2020) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study were analyzed. Linear regression analyses estimated associations between ACE score and screen time and physical activity in May 2020, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Of the 6749 adolescent respondents primarily aged 12-13, 81.6% reported a history of one ACE or more. In adjusted models, a higher ACE score was significantly associated with greater hours per day of screen time, with youth with ≥4 ACEs associated with 2.3 more hours of screen time per day compared to youth with 0 ACEs. In addition, the adjusted models found that a higher ACE score was associated with lower physical activity; youth with ≥4 ACEs averaged 0.8 fewer hours per week of physical activity and 0.5 fewer days per week of 60 minutes of physical activity compared to youth with 0 ACEs. Gender and race were also significantly associated with changes in screen time and physical activity.

Conclusions

ACEs are associated with higher adolescent sedentary behaviors, particularly greater screen time, during the early COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020). Clinicians caring for youth exposed to trauma in the postpandemic environment should explore screen time and physical activity behaviors.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents. Emerging literature has described relationships between excessive screen time and suicidal behaviors, though findings have been mixed. The objective of this study is to determine the prospective associations between screen time and suicidal behaviors two-years later in a national (U.S.) cohort of 9-11-year-old-children. We analyzed prospective cohort data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,633). Logistic regression analyses were estimated to determine the associations between baseline self-reported screen time (exposure) and suicidal behaviors (outcome) based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5) at two-year-follow-up. Participants reported an average of 4.0 h of total screen time per day at baseline. At two-year-follow-up, 1.38% of the sample reported at least one suicidal behavior. Each additional hour of total screen time was prospectively associated with 1.09 higher odds of suicidal behaviors at 2-year-follow-up (95% CI 1.03-1.14), after adjusting for covariates. For specific screen time modalities, each additional hour of texting (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.06-1.74), video chatting (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03-1.65), watching videos (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04-1.39), and playing video games (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01-1.38) was associated with higher odds of subsequent suicidal behaviors. Higher screen time is associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal behaviors at two-year-follow-up. Future research should seek to identify how specific screen time experiences may influence suicidal behaviors.

Purpose

To assess the association between sexual orientation and screen use (screen time and problematic screen use) in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data from year 2 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 10,339, 2018-2020, ages 10-14 years). Multiple linear regression analyses estimated the association between sexual orientation and recreational screen time, as well as problematic use of video games, social media, and mobile phones.

Results

In a sample of 10,339 adolescents (48.7% female, 46.0% racial/ethnic minority), sexual minority (compared to heterosexual) identification was associated with 3.72 (95% CI 2.96-4.47) more hours of daily recreational screen time, specifically more time on television, YouTube videos, video games, texting, social media, video chat, and browsing the internet. Possible sexual minority identification (responding "maybe" to the sexual minority question) was associated with 1.58 (95% CI 0.92-2.24) more hours of screen time compared to heterosexual identification. Sexual minority and possible sexual minority identification were associated with higher problematic social media, video games, and mobile phone use.

Conclusions

Sexual minority adolescents spend a disproportionate amount of time engaging in screen-based activities, which can lead to problematic screen use.

Purpose

To determine the sociodemographic correlates of alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs regarding positive or negative effects of alcohol) in a national (U.S.) cohort of early adolescents 10-14 years old. A second aim was to determine associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,868; Year 2). Linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, household income, parental education, parent marital status, religiosity) and positive (e.g., stress reduction) and negative (e.g., loss of motor coordination) alcohol expectancies. Additional linear regression analyses determined associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Results

Overall, 48.8% of the participants were female and 47.6% racial/ethnic minorities, with a mean age of 12.02 (SD 0.67) years. Older age among the early adolescent sample, male sex, and sexual minority identification were associated with more positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Black and Latino/Hispanic adolescents reported less positive and negative alcohol expectancies compared to White non-Latino/Hispanic adolescents. Having parents with a college education or greater and a household income of $200,000 and greater were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Alcohol sipping was associated with higher positive alcohol expectancies.

Conclusions

Older age, White non-Latino/Hispanic race, male sex, sexual minority status, higher parental education, and higher household income were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Future research should examine the mechanisms linking these specific sociodemographic factors to alcohol expectancies to inform future prevention and intervention efforts.

Background

Alcohol expectancies are beliefs regarding positive (e.g., tension reduction) or negative (e.g., loss of motor coordination) effects of alcohol. Based on Social Learning Theory, social media can influence alcohol expectancies in adolescents. In particular, problematic social media use - which can reflect elements of addiction, including mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse - could be linked to alcohol expectancies. We aimed to determine the associations between problematic social media use and alcohol expectancies in a national (U.S.) cohort of 10-14-year-old early adolescents.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 9,008) at the Year 2 assessment (2018-2020). Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between problematic social media use and alcohol expectancies (positive and negative), adjusting for race/ethnicity, sex, household income, parent education, sexual orientation, parental marital status, and study site. Furthermore, we computed marginal predicted probabilities to aid in interpreting findings.

Results

The sample was 48.7% female and racially and ethnically diverse (43.0% non-White), with a mean age of 12.02 ± 0.66 years old. In models adjusted for confounders including both time spent on social media and problematic social media use, time spent on social media was not associated with positive or negative alcohol expectancies, but higher problematic social media use score was associated with higher positive (B = 0.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.020-0.069) and negative (B = 0.072, 95% CI 0.043-0.101) alcohol expectancies scores.

Conclusion

Problematic social media use was associated with both positive and negative alcohol expectancies in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the U.S. Given the small effect sizes of the current study, future studies should further examine these relationships prospectively, as well as the mechanisms linking problematic social media use to alcohol expectancies and alcohol consumption. Because alcohol expectancies are modifiable and linked with alcohol initiation, they could be a target for future prevention efforts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between sexual minority status (e.g., gay or bisexual) and sleep problems in a demographically diverse, national sample of U.S. early adolescents. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (Year 2, 2018-2020) to estimate associations between sexual orientation and sleep problems or disturbance, adjusting for confounders and testing potential mediators (depressive problems, stress problems, family conflict, and parental monitoring). Results: In a sample of 8563 adolescents 10- to 14-years-old, 4.4% identified as sexual minority individuals. Sexual minority status was associated with self-reported trouble falling or staying asleep (risk ratio [RR] = 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.88-2.68) and caregiver-reported sleep disturbance (RR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.29-1.75). The association between sexual minority status and trouble falling or staying asleep was partially mediated by greater depressive problems, more family conflict, and less parental monitoring, whereas the association between sexual minority status and caregiver-reported sleep disturbance was partially mediated by greater depressive problems, higher stress, and greater family conflict. Conclusions: Our results indicate that sexual minority status may be linked to sleep disturbance in early adolescence. Depressive problems, stress, family conflict, and less parental monitoring partially mediate disparities in sleep health for sexual minority youth. Future research could test interventions to promote family and caregiver acceptance and mental health support for sexual minority youth to improve their sleep and other health outcomes.