Aims: The aim of this project is to investigate early risk factors of IDU in ALSPAC. Previous research has suggested that the onset of IDU is associated with family structure (not living with both parents, or in care or a foster home at any point) as well as early conduct problems, particularly school exclusion and childhood contact with the criminal justice system. Moreover, violence, criminality and financial problems in the family have been shown to be associated with increased risk as well as any types of carer substance use (Macleod et al 2012). However, these association have to date only been shown within the context of case control studies (Macleod et al 2012; Conroy et al., 2009; Tomas et al., 1990; Obot et al, 1999). To our knowledge there is no prospective evidence investigating the association between these early life risk factors and IDU in early adulthood.

Outcome variables: self-reported injecting drug use at ages 17 and 21

We will investigate IDU by age 17 and by age 21 and also create an outcome variable indicating IDU by age 21 (combining TF4 data with data from the 21yr questionnaire)

We propose to examine the following co-variates in relation to the outcome:

Indicators of socio-economic positioning

Indicators of early childhood adversity

- Contact with social services (mother self-report)

- "Child at risk" Register (linkage)

- Experience of victimisation (physical, emotional and sexual abuse during childhood)

- Antisocial behaviour

- Conduct disorder trajectories and early measures of conduct problems

- Alcohol, Smoking and substance use up to young adulthood

- Stessful life events in the child

- Post traumatic stress in the child

Educational measures:

- KS1 & KS2

- School exclusion and data on absenteeism (teacher reported, YP self-reported and linkage data)

Parental factors

- Parental substance use including smoking, alcohol problems, drug taking and injection drug use

- Indicators of family involvement with the police/court, criminal convictions

- Cruelty within the family (towards the carer, towards child), financial hardship

References:

Macleod J, Hickman M, Jones J, Copeland L, McKenzie J, De Angelis D, Kimber J & Robertson JR (2012): Early life influences on the risk of injecting drug use: case control study based on the Edinburgh Addiction Cohort. Addiction. Vol.108(4). pp. 743 - 750

Conroy E, Degenhardt L, Mattick RP & Nelson E (2009): Child maltreatment as a risk factor for opiod dependence:comparison of family characteristics and type and severity of child maltreatment with a matched control group. Child Abuse & Neglect. Vol.33. pp. 343 - 352.

Tomas JM, Vlahov D, Anthony JC (1990): Association between intravenous drug use and early misbehaviour. Drug & Alcohol Dependency. Vol.25. pp. 79 - 89.

Obot IS & Anthony JC (1999): Association of school dropout with recent and past injecting drug use among African American adults. Addicitive Behaviour. Vol. 24. pp. 701 - 705.