Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Adolescent Problematic Screen Use in the United States

Abstract

Background Problematic screen use, defined as loss of control over usage resulting in impairments in personal, social, and occupational functioning, has risen dramatically among adolescents. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are important risk factors in the development of addictive behaviors and may play an important role in the development of problematic screen use. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (Year 2; 2018-2020; N = 8,794) was analyzed in 2022. Multiple linear analyses were used to determine associations between ACEs and adolescent-reported problematic use of video games (Video Game Addiction Questionnaire), social media (Social Media Addiction Questionnaire), and mobile phones (Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire). Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders including age, sex, race/ethnicity, highest parent education, household income, and site. Results The 8,794 adolescent respondents ages 11-12 years old were racially and ethnically diverse (55.1% White, 19.5% Latino/Hispanic, 15.8% Black, 5.1% Asian, 3.2% Native American, 1.3% Other). ACEs were associated with higher problematic video game, social media, and mobile phone use in a dose-dependent fashion in both unadjusted and adjusted models. Conclusions Given the dose-dependent relationship in adolescent ACE exposure and rates of problematic screen use, public health programming for trauma-exposed youth should explore video game, social media, and mobile phone use among this population and implement interventions focused on supporting healthy digital habits.

The persistence of stress-induced physical inactivity in rats: an investigation of central monoamine neurotransmitters and skeletal muscle oxidative stress

“…A growing literature suggests that exposure to adverse experiences may become detrimental to the long-term physical activity engagement in humans and rodent models (Moraska and Fleshner, 2001;Stults-Kolehmainen and Sinha, 2014;Vasquez et al, 2016;DeVallance et al, 2017;van den Berk-Clark et al, 2018;Teychenne et al, 2019;Jiang et al, 2020;Raney et al, 2022). However, the biological factors mediating the relationship between acute stress and sedentary lifestyles have yet to be established.…”

“…Identifying the central and peripheral biological factors that mediate a decreased willingness to be active may be critical to the treatment and prevention of the sedentary lifestyle, especially within populations that have no apparent underlying disability preventing physical activity engagement. Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to adverse events (e.g., psychological traumas) may contribute to the development of sedentary lifestyles (Moraska and Fleshner, 2001;Stults-Kolehmainen and Sinha, 2014;Vasquez et al, 2016;DeVallance et al, 2017;van den Berk-Clark et al, 2018;Teychenne et al, 2019;Jiang et al, 2020;Raney et al, 2022), providing a possible factor linking psychological traumas and increased risks for chronic disease, substance use, and mood and anxiety disorders. However, relatively little is known about how stress exposure can alter physiology in manners that make individuals more prone to chronic inactivity (Boyington et al, 2015), especially long after the stressor is no longer present.…”