Gender-based differences in the prevalence and types of adverse childhood experiences and their associations with psychological distress and perceived lack of safety among adolescents in Qatar

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are detrimental to well-being, but gender-specific data in Arab countries is scarce. We explored gender differences in prevalence and associations of ACEs with psychological distress and feeling unsafe among Qatari adolescents using a 2017 national cross-sectional survey of 836 students (412 boys and 424 girls) from grades 8 to 12. Boys reported more ACEs and physical abuse. Gender-specific multivariable logistic regression models revealed that distress in boys was significantly associated with physical abuse (aOR = 3.35), emotional/psychological abuse (aOR = 1.77), terrifying event (1.75), and being sent away from home as punishment (aOR = 3.06). Girls reported higher psychological abuse; distress was related to parental separation (aOR = 3.41) and to being sent away from home (aOR = 3.20). Feeling unsafe was associated with parental divorce/separation in girls (aOR = 4.99) and with physical abuse among boys (aOR = 2.43). Culturally contextualized and gender-sensitive interventions are needed to address ACEs in Qatari adolescents.