Interpretation of data: JB FZ GB AN. Discussion of results: JB FZ GB AN.
Childhood maltreatment including abuse and neglect has been linked to numerous health outcomes over the long-term such as mortality, chronic disease, obesity and poor mental health [1]. Whilst the impact of maltreatment on mental health is well-documented, there is more limited understanding of the association between childhood maltreatment and development of obesity over the life-course. The evolution of the association between maltreatment and obesity is of particular interest given that obesity is linked to mortality from cardiovascular disease[2] and thus, may be on the pathway from maltreatment to several long-term health outcomes, as suggested by research on chronic metabolic and immunity-related disease such as type 2 diabetes [3,4] and inflammation in mid-life [5]. Research on childhood maltreatment and obesity shows heterogenous results. However, a recent meta-analysis of 41 studies (190,285 participants) reported an ICG-001 biological activity elevated obesity risk in adulthood (OR adjusted for publication bias = 1.21 (1.12, 1.32)) but not in childhood in association with child maltreatment [6]. This finding highlights the need to consider Body Mass Index (BMI) at specific ages and changes in BMI throughout life. Evidence from the few studies available suggests that childhood maltreatment groups have greater BMI gains over phases of the life-span than others [4,7,8]. However, studies to date are limited to small selected populations focussing only on sexual abuse [7] or reliant on self-reported BMI measures [8] sometimes obtained retrospectively [4] and rarely extending beyond young adulthood [7,8]. Plausible mechanisms for a child maltreatment–adult obesity association have been identified. First, the well-established impact of child maltreatment on mental health [1] and comorbidity of obesity and depressive symptoms [9] has led to the proposition that depression mediates in the association with obesity [6]. Second, given observations of child maltreatment with poor health behaviours, these in turn may lead to long-term health outcomes [10]. The latter possibility is complex for BMI/obesity where some behaviours such as smoking are associated with decreased SP600125 web rather than increased risk seen for disease outcomes [11]. Third, human and animal studies that show early-life stressors to be associated with altered brain responses suggest that there may be biologically embedded effects with the potential to influence longterm health risks [1, 12]. Research on child maltreatment and adiposity needs to take account of such complex relationships that evolve over the life-course. To our knowledge no study has examined child maltreatment in the general population and prospectively assessed BMI/obesity trajectories over long periods of life. Using data from a large nationwide cohort followed from birth to 50y, we aimed to establish whether: (i) child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) are associated with BMI or obesity at specific life-stages and with differing lifetime BMI or obesity trajectories child to mid-adulthood; (ii) associations are independent of other early-life or adult factors, e.g. disadvantaged material circumstances or health behaviours; and (iii) associations are independent of depressive symptom level.PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0119985 March 26,2 /Child Maltreatment and BMI TrajectoriesMethodsThe 1958 cohort consists of all births during one week March 1958 in England,.Interpretation of data: JB FZ GB AN. Discussion of results: JB FZ GB AN.
Childhood maltreatment including abuse and neglect has been linked to numerous health outcomes over the long-term such as mortality, chronic disease, obesity and poor mental health [1]. Whilst the impact of maltreatment on mental health is well-documented, there is more limited understanding of the association between childhood maltreatment and development of obesity over the life-course. The evolution of the association between maltreatment and obesity is of particular interest given that obesity is linked to mortality from cardiovascular disease[2] and thus, may be on the pathway from maltreatment to several long-term health outcomes, as suggested by research on chronic metabolic and immunity-related disease such as type 2 diabetes [3,4] and inflammation in mid-life [5]. Research on childhood maltreatment and obesity shows heterogenous results. However, a recent meta-analysis of 41 studies (190,285 participants) reported an elevated obesity risk in adulthood (OR adjusted for publication bias = 1.21 (1.12, 1.32)) but not in childhood in association with child maltreatment [6]. This finding highlights the need to consider Body Mass Index (BMI) at specific ages and changes in BMI throughout life. Evidence from the few studies available suggests that childhood maltreatment groups have greater BMI gains over phases of the life-span than others [4,7,8]. However, studies to date are limited to small selected populations focussing only on sexual abuse [7] or reliant on self-reported BMI measures [8] sometimes obtained retrospectively [4] and rarely extending beyond young adulthood [7,8]. Plausible mechanisms for a child maltreatment–adult obesity association have been identified. First, the well-established impact of child maltreatment on mental health [1] and comorbidity of obesity and depressive symptoms [9] has led to the proposition that depression mediates in the association with obesity [6]. Second, given observations of child maltreatment with poor health behaviours, these in turn may lead to long-term health outcomes [10]. The latter possibility is complex for BMI/obesity where some behaviours such as smoking are associated with decreased rather than increased risk seen for disease outcomes [11]. Third, human and animal studies that show early-life stressors to be associated with altered brain responses suggest that there may be biologically embedded effects with the potential to influence longterm health risks [1, 12]. Research on child maltreatment and adiposity needs to take account of such complex relationships that evolve over the life-course. To our knowledge no study has examined child maltreatment in the general population and prospectively assessed BMI/obesity trajectories over long periods of life. Using data from a large nationwide cohort followed from birth to 50y, we aimed to establish whether: (i) child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) are associated with BMI or obesity at specific life-stages and with differing lifetime BMI or obesity trajectories child to mid-adulthood; (ii) associations are independent of other early-life or adult factors, e.g. disadvantaged material circumstances or health behaviours; and (iii) associations are independent of depressive symptom level.PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0119985 March 26,2 /Child Maltreatment and BMI TrajectoriesMethodsThe 1958 cohort consists of all births during one week March 1958 in England,.
