Adverse childhood experiences and sipping alcohol in U.S. Children: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between accumulating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sipping alcohol in a large, nationwide sample of 9-to-10-year-old U.S. children. We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (2016–2018). Of 10,853 children (49.1 % female), 23.4 % reported ever sipping alcohol. A greater ACE score was associated with a higher risk of sipping alcohol. Having 4 or more ACEs placed children at 1.27 times the risk (95 % CI 1.11–1.45) of sipping alcohol compared to children with no ACEs. Among the nine distinct ACEs examined, household violence (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.13, 95 % CI 1.04–1.22) and household alcohol abuse (RR = 1.14, 95 % CI 1.05–1.22) were associated with sipping alcohol during childhood. Our findings indicate a need for increased clinical attention to alcohol sipping among ACE-exposed children.