Investigating the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Cigarette Smoking in University Students in Isfahan, Iran

Adverse childhood experiences include various types of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse as well as household dysfunction. These experiences are associated with health-damaging behaviors such as smoking and other adverse health consequences. The aim of the present study was to explain the current use of cigarettes based on exposure to adverse childhood experiences in university students in Isfahan, Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 450 university students selected on a randomized basis in Isfahan in 2020. Checklist of adverse childhood experiences, checklist of demographic information, and smoking-related variables were employed to collect data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the effect of exposure to adverse childhood experiences on the current status of cigarette smoking. The results showed that 20.2% of the total sample students were current smokers. 46.5% of students stated that they had at least one unfavorable experience and 25.1% of all students reported six or more unfavorable experiences. By controlling demographic variables, respondents with one to five (R = 3.5) as well as six or more adverse experiences (OR = 6.8) were more likely to be current smokers than respondents who had no adverse experiences. This was more likely in female students than male university students. The results suggest that exposure to adverse experiences may increase the risk of behaviors such as smoking in adulthood. Since smoking is known as a mechanism to deal with negative events, it is necessary to develop interventions and programs to effectively deal with adverse experiences at various community levels and policy to reduce risky behaviors such as smoking in adolescents and young people.