Childhood Maltreatment, Gender Nonconformity, and Adolescent Sexual Orientation: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Childhood Maltreatment, Gender Nonconformity, and Adolescent Sexual Orientation: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

AU - Xu, Yin

AU - Norton, Sam

AU - Rahman, Qazi

PY - 2020/7

Y1 - 2020/7

N2 - This study tested whether associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent sexual orientation were accounted for by childhood gender nonconforming behavior (GNCB) in a prospective birth cohort (N = 5,007). Childhood parental maltreatment (physical and emotional) and GNCB were assessed on multiple occasions up to age 6 years, and sexual orientation at 15.5 years. Boys with a history of maltreatment were significantly more likely to be nonheterosexual. Using propensity score weighting, maltreatment was associated with a 3.5% (p =.03) increase in the prevalence of nonheterosexuality accounting for confounders not including GNCB, and by 2.9% (p =.06) when also accounting for GNCB. These findings suggest that maltreatment is associated with an increased prevalence of nonheterosexuality in boys but may be explained by confounding factors including GNCB.

AB - This study tested whether associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent sexual orientation were accounted for by childhood gender nonconforming behavior (GNCB) in a prospective birth cohort (N = 5,007). Childhood parental maltreatment (physical and emotional) and GNCB were assessed on multiple occasions up to age 6 years, and sexual orientation at 15.5 years. Boys with a history of maltreatment were significantly more likely to be nonheterosexual. Using propensity score weighting, maltreatment was associated with a 3.5% (p =.03) increase in the prevalence of nonheterosexuality accounting for confounders not including GNCB, and by 2.9% (p =.06) when also accounting for GNCB. These findings suggest that maltreatment is associated with an increased prevalence of nonheterosexuality in boys but may be explained by confounding factors including GNCB.

KW - Sexual orientation

KW - Lesbian, gay, bisexual

KW - Gender nonconformity

KW - Child abuse

KW - Child maltreatment

KW - ALSPAC

KW - Homosexuality

KW - Propensity score matching

KW - Causal analysis

KW - Cohort study

KW - Longitudinal

KW - Environment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074412138&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/cdev.13317

DO - 10.1111/cdev.13317

M3 - Article

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 91

SP - e984-e994

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

IS - 4

ER -