Gender-stratified analyses of the proportion of alcohol dependence attributable to the interaction between the maltreatments and parental history indicated two significant gender-specific effects, both in women. These included significant departures from additivity for sexual abuse and parental history (AP 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.48), and emotional neglect and parental history (AP 0.26, 95% CI 0.04–0.47). Thus, the synergistic effect of parental history of alcohol use disorders with two of the childhood maltreatments – sexual abuse and emotional neglect – on the odds for alcohol dependence appears to vary by gender.
