Open AccessRelationship Between Childhood Abuse and Body Mass Index in Young Adulthood: Mediated by Depression and Anxiety?
Author(s) -
Leonie K. Elsenburg,
Aart C. Liefbroer,
Annelies E. van Eeden,
Hans W. Hoek,
Albertine J. Oldehinkel,
Nynke Smidt
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
child maltreatment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.185
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1552-6119
pISSN - 1077-5595
DOI - 10.1177/10775595221092946
Subject(s) - sexual abuse , body mass index , major depressive disorder , depression (economics) , anxiety , psychological abuse , psychiatry , poison control , physical abuse , child abuse , psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , mood , medical emergency , economics , macroeconomics
We examined whether childhood abuse is related to body mass index (BMI) in young adults and whether this relationship is mediated by depression and anxiety. Data are from the Dutch longitudinal cohort study TRAILS (n females = 836, n males = 719). At wave 4, childhood sexual, physical and verbal abuse, and lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were assessed. BMI was measured at wave 4 and 5 (mean age = 19.2/22.4 years). Sex-stratified structural equation models were estimated. Females who had experienced sexual abuse had a higher BMI at wave 4 (B = 0.97, 95%CI = [-0.01,1.96]) and a higher increase in BMI between wave 4 and 5 (B = 0.52, 95%CI = [0.04,1.01]) than females who had not experienced sexual abuse. Additionally, MDD and BMI at wave 4 were related in females (B = 1.35, 95%CI = [0.52,2.18]). MDD mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and BMI at wave 4 in females. In addition, sexual abuse moderated the relationship between MDD and BMI at wave 4. The relationship was stronger among females who had experienced sexual abuse than among females who had not. Prevention of BMI changes among females who experienced sexual abuse may thus be warranted, particularly when they developed MDD. MDD treatment, such as abuse-focused psychotherapy, may aid this prevention.