title: The association between childhood sexual and physical abuse with incident adult severe obesity across 13 years of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe obesity has increased, yet childhood antecedents of adult severe obesity are not well understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Estimate adult-onset severe obesity risk in individuals with history of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse compared with those who did not report abuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal analysis of participants from the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 10,774) wave II (1996; aged 12-22 years) followed through wave IV (2008-2009; aged 24-34 years). New cases of adult-onset severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 40 kg/m2 using measured height and weight) in individuals followed over 13 years who were not severely obese during adolescence (BMI <120% of 95th percentile Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics growth curves).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combined occurrence of self-reported sexual and physical abuse during childhood was associated with an increased risk of incident severe obesity in adulthood in non-minority females (hazard ratio [HR; 95% Confidence Interval] = 2.5; 1.3, 4.8) and males (HR = 3.6; 1.5, 8.5) compared with individuals with no history of abuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to other social and emotional risks, exposure to sexual and physical abuse during childhood may increase risk of severe obesity later in life. Consideration of the confluence of childhood abuse might be considered as part of preventive and therapeutic approaches to address severe obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gordon-Larsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods
keywords: Childhood maltreatment; United States; severe obesity; young adult