Body weight and obesity in adults and self-reported abuse in childhood
Abstract
Background Little is known about childhood factors and adult obesity. A previous study found a strong association between childhood neglect and obesity in young adults. Objective To estimate associations between self-reported abuse in childhood (sexual, verbal, fear of physical abuse and physical) adult body weight, and risk of obesity. Design Retrospective cohort study with surveys during 1995-1997. Patients A total of 13,177 members of California health maintenance organization aged 19-92 y. Measurements Body weight measured during clinical examination, followed by mailed survey to recall experiences during first 18 y of life. Estimates adjusted for adult demographic factors and health practices, and characteristics of the childhood household. Results Some 66% of participants reported one or more type of abuse. Physical abuse and verbal abuse were most strongly associated with body weight and obesity. Compared with no physical abuse (55%), being 'often hit and injured' (2.5%) had a 4.0 kg (95% confidence interval: 2.4-5.6 kg) higher weight and a 1.4 (1.2-1.6) relative risk (RR) of body mass index (BMI) > or = 30. Compared with no verbal abuse (53%), being 'often verbally abused' (9.5%) had an RR of 1.9 (1.3-2.7) for BMI > or = 40. The abuse associations were not mutually independent, however, because the abuse types strongly co-occurred. Obesity risk increased with number and severity of each type of abuse. The population attributable fraction for 'any mention' of abuse (67…
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Obesity increases as the ACE score increases in this study.
“Findings of increased obesity as the ACE score increases in this study and reported elsewhere (Williamson 2002) are consistent with animal studies showing that stress, acting through the effects of glucocorticoids on the glucocorticoid receptor on intra-abdominal adipocytes, leads to increased intra-abdominal fat which carries its own independent mortality risk.”
From The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology (2006) · cites this paper as Williamson 2002
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- Authors
- Williamson, D., Thompson, T., Anda, R., Dietz, W., & Felitti, V
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Kaiser Permanente (US)
- Venue
- International Journal of Obesity
- Published
- 2002-07-16
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1075-1082
- ISSN
- 0307-0565 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5497
- OpenAlex
- W2007271086
- Cited by
- 460
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 6.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- International Journal of Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- childhood abuse, child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, adult obesity, body weight, body mass index, child neglect, population attributable fraction, child abuse prevention
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, California, Child, Child Abuse, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Self Concept, Body Mass Index
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