Journal
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT
Volume 32, Issue 9, Pages 878-887Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.11.004
Keywords
Child abuse; Obesity; Depression; Binge eating; Body dissatisfaction
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Objective: Examine whether (1) childhood maltreatment is associated with subsequent obesity and depression in middle-age; (2) maltreatment explains the associations between obesity and depression; and (3) binge eating or body dissatisfaction mediate associations between childhood maltreatment and subsequent obesity. Methods: Data were obtained through a population-based survey of 4641 women (mean age = 52 years) enrolled in a large health plan in the Pacific Northwest. A telephone survey assessed child sexual and physical abuse, obesity (BMI >= 30), depressive symptoms, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models incorporating sampling weights. Results: Both child sexual and physical abuse were associated with a doubling of the odds of both obesity and depression, although child physical abuse was not associated with depression for the African American/Hispanic/American Indian subgroup. The association between obesity and depression (unadjusted OR = 2.82; 95% CI = 2.20-3.62) was reduced somewhat after controlling for sexual abuse (adjusted OR = 2.54; 1.96-3.29) and for physical abuse (adjusted OR = 2.63; 2.03-3.42). Controlling for potential mediators failed to substantially attenuate associations between childhood maltreatment and obesity. Conclusions: This study is the first to our knowledge that compares associations of child abuse with both depression and obesity in adults. Although the study is limited by its cross-sectional design and brief assessments, the fact that child abuse predicted two debilitating conditions in middle-aged women indicates the potential long-term consequences of these experiences. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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