Childhood Maltreatment and BMI Trajectory: The Mediating Role of Depression

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.

Hábitos e Preferências de Consumo de Pessoas Diagnosticadas com Depressão

“…Com isso, considera-se que os indivíduos que estão com IMC elevado tendem a ter maior nível de depressão. Esses resultados apoiam os achados de Antoniou, Bongers e Jansen (2017) e Sacks et al (2017).…”

Decreased serum total cholesterol is associated with a history of childhood physical violence in depressed outpatients

“…Associations between cholesterol levels and psychological conditions have been a focus of interest ever since Engelberg (1992) hypothesized a link between serum lipid concentrations, depression, and suicidality. Many studies have focused on the associations between cholesterol levels and depression (Maes et al, 1997;Lehto et al, 2008;Lehto et al, 2010;Persons and Fiedorowicz, 2016) and also on the link between depression and ACEs (Dias de Mattos Souza et al, 2016;McCarthy-Jones and McCarthy-Jones, 2014;Rohde et al, 2008;Sacks et al, 2017;Tunnard et al, 2014). Altered levels of circulating lipids have been observed in adults who report ACEs compared to those with no such experiences (Groër et al, 2016;Lodhia et al, 2015).…”

Not the Root of the Problem—Hair Cortisol and Cortisone Do Not Mediate the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Body Mass Index

“…The relation between childhood maltreatment and overweight has been confirmed by two meta-analyses including 190,285 and 112,708 participants, respectively (12,13). Longitudinal studies with several assessments have shown that maltreatment is related to accelerated weight gain (14)(15)(16)(17), but report conflicting results with regard to which type of maltreatment drives this effect.…”

“…One study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder as a potential mechanism but only found a weak mediation effect (27). Another study found that depression fully mediated the association between physical abuse and BMI in girls but not in boys and did not play a role for other types of maltreatment (17). An alternative approach would be to focus on biological factors such as stress physiology.…”