Childhood Maltreatment and BMI Trajectory: The Mediating Role of Depression

Overview

Journal Am J Prev Med

Specialty Public Health

Date 2017 Sep 21

PMID 28928037

Citations 20

Authors

Rebecca M Sacks

Erin Takemoto

Sarah Andrea

Nathan F Dieckmann

Katherine W Bauer

Janne Boone-Heinonen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood maltreatment is associated with later obesity, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the extent to which depression mediates the associations between childhood maltreatment and BMI in adolescence through adulthood.

Methods: Data on a cohort of 13,362 adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Wave I [1994-1995] to Wave IV [2008-2009]) were analyzed in 2015-2016. Classes of maltreatment experienced prior to age 12 years were statistically identified using latent class analysis. Gender-stratified latent growth curve analysis was used to estimate total effects of maltreatment classes on latent BMI trajectory (aged 13-31 years) and indirect effects of maltreatment classes that occurred through latent depression trajectory (aged 12-31 years).

Results: Four latent maltreatment classes were identified: high abuse and neglect; physical abuse dominant; supervisory neglect dominant; and no/low maltreatment. In girls, compared with no/low maltreatment, supervisory neglect dominant (coefficient=0.3, 95% CI=0.0, 0.7) and physical abuse dominant (coefficient=0.6, 95% CI=0.1, 1.2) maltreatment were associated with faster gain in BMI. Change in depression over time fully mediated the association of BMI slope with physical abuse dominant maltreatment, but not with supervisory neglect dominant maltreatment. In boys, high abuse and neglect maltreatment was associated with marginally greater BMI at baseline (coefficient=0.7, 95% CI= -0.1, 1.5); this association was not mediated by depression.

Conclusions: Although maltreatment was associated with depression and BMI trajectories from adolescence to adulthood, depression only mediated associations with physical abuse dominant maltreatment in girls.

Citing Articles

Adverse childhood experiences and perceived body size across the life course: a longitudinal study using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

De Rubeis V, Gonzalez A, Griffith L, Tarride J, Anderson L BMJ Public Health. 2025; 3(1):e002007.

PMID: 40017930 PMC: 11816206. DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2024-002007.

Childhood Maltreatment and Body Mass Index in Older Adults With Chronic Illness.

St-Arnaud V, Chicoine A, Tardif J, Busseuil D, DAntono B CJC Pediatr Congenit Heart Dis. 2024; 3(3):87-97.

PMID: 39070955 PMC: 11282884. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjcpc.2024.03.002.

More Than What You Eat: A Review on the Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Elevated Adult BMI.

Wallace C, Krugman R Curr Nutr Rep. 2024; 13(3):377-381.

PMID: 38922364 PMC: 11327177. DOI: 10.1007/s13668-024-00558-4.

Counterfactual Mediation Analysis with a Latent Class Exposure.

Hammerton G, Heron J, Lewis K, Tilling K, Vansteelandt S Multivariate Behav Res. 2024; 59(4):818-840.

PMID: 38821136 PMC: 11286213. DOI: 10.1080/00273171.2024.2335394.

The interplay of family history of depression and early trauma: associations with lifetime and current depression in the German national cohort (NAKO).

Streit F, Volker M, Klinger-Konig J, Zillich L, Frank J, Reinhard I Front Epidemiol. 2024; 3:1099235.

PMID: 38523800 PMC: 10959537. DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1099235.

References

Keller M, Neale M, Kendler K . Association of different adverse life events with distinct patterns of depressive symptoms. Am J Psychiatry. 2007; 164(10):1521-9. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06091564. View

Berzenski S, Yates T . Classes and consequences of multiple maltreatment: a person-centered analysis. Child Maltreat. 2011; 16(4):250-61. DOI: 10.1177/1077559511428353. View

Luppino F, de Wit L, Bouvy P, Stijnen T, Cuijpers P, Penninx B . Overweight, obesity, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010; 67(3):220-9. DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2. View

Cole J, Rabin A, Smith T, Kaufman A . Development and validation of a Rasch-derived CES-D short form. Psychol Assess. 2004; 16(4):360-72. DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.16.4.360. View

Higgins D . The importance of degree versus type of maltreatment: a cluster analysis of child abuse types. J Psychol. 2004; 138(4):303-24. DOI: 10.3200/JRLP.138.4.303-324. View

Casper R, Redmond Jr D, Katz M, Schaffer C, Davis J, Koslow S . Somatic symptoms in primary affective disorder. Presence and relationship to the classification of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985; 42(11):1098-104. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790340082012. View

Bernet C, Stein M . Relationship of childhood maltreatment to the onset and course of major depression in adulthood. Depress Anxiety. 1999; 9(4):169-74. View

Sobin C, Sackeim H . Psychomotor symptoms of depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1997; 154(1):4-17. DOI: 10.1176/ajp.154.1.4. View

Nelson E, Heath A, Madden P, Cooper M, Dinwiddie S, Bucholz K . Association between self-reported childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychosocial outcomes: results from a twin study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002; 59(2):139-45. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.59.2.139. View

10.

Cowell R, Cicchetti D, Rogosch F, Toth S . Childhood maltreatment and its effect on neurocognitive functioning: Timing and chronicity matter. Dev Psychopathol. 2015; 27(2):521-33. PMC: 4443870. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579415000139. View

11.

Finkelhor D, Turner H, Shattuck A, Hamby S . Prevalence of Childhood Exposure to Violence, Crime, and Abuse: Results From the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence. JAMA Pediatr. 2015; 169(8):746-54. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0676. View

12.

Knutson J, Taber S, Murray A, Valles N, Koeppl G . The role of care neglect and supervisory neglect in childhood obesity in a disadvantaged sample. J Pediatr Psychol. 2009; 35(5):523-32. PMC: 2910942. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp115. View

13.

Konttinen H, Mannisto S, Sarlio-Lahteenkorva S, Silventoinen K, Haukkala A . Emotional eating, depressive symptoms and self-reported food consumption. A population-based study. Appetite. 2010; 54(3):473-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.01.014. View

14.

Infurna M, Reichl C, Parzer P, Schimmenti A, Bifulco A, Kaess M . Associations between depression and specific childhood experiences of abuse and neglect: A meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2015; 190:47-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.006. View

15.

Nooner K, Litrownik A, Thompson R, Margolis B, Margolis B, English D . Youth self-report of physical and sexual abuse: a latent class analysis. Child Abuse Negl. 2010; 34(3):146-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.10.007. View

16.

Dong M, Giles W, Felitti V, Dube S, Williams J, Chapman D . Insights into causal pathways for ischemic heart disease: adverse childhood experiences study. Circulation. 2004; 110(13):1761-6. DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000143074.54995.7F. View

17.

Nanni V, Uher R, Danese A . Childhood maltreatment predicts unfavorable course of illness and treatment outcome in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2012; 169(2):141-51. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11020335. View

18.

Fang X, Corso P . Child maltreatment, youth violence, and intimate partner violence: developmental relationships. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 33(4):281-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2007.06.003. View

19.

Osofsky J . Prevalence of children's exposure to domestic violence and child maltreatment: implications for prevention and intervention. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2003; 6(3):161-70. DOI: 10.1023/a:1024958332093. View

20.

Gunstad J, Paul R, Spitznagel M, Cohen R, Williams L, Kohn M . Exposure to early life trauma is associated with adult obesity. Psychiatry Res. 2006; 142(1):31-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2005.11.007. View