title: From childhood trauma to elevated C-reactive protein in adulthood: the role of anxiety and emotional eating.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood trauma is known to be related to inflammatory processes in adulthood, but underlying psychological/behavioral mechanisms have not been fully characterized. To investigate associations between childhood trauma and inflammation (indexed by C-reactive protein [CRP]), we used a structural equation modeling approach on a subsample of the Midlife in the United States biomarker project.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 687 men and women without history of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or stroke who completed a physical examination and extensive questionnaires and provided blood. To test for sex differences, we held as many parameters invariant across sexes as possible while still retaining good model fit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tests of direct and indirect effects revealed that childhood trauma was significantly associated with elevated CRP, via elevated body mass index (BMI; p < .001). This relationship was mediated by a broad latent measure of distress, which was associated with using food as a coping mechanism. Men and women differed in reported levels of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect. Compared with men, women showed a stronger association between BMI and CRP, whereas men had a stronger association between use of food to cope and elevated BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are consistent with a model in which childhood trauma is associated with elevated CRP, a relationship associated with stress reactivity and compensatory emotional eating. Men and women may experience trauma in qualitatively distinct patterns but share many vulnerabilities, which can lead to elevated health risks. Emotional eating may be an important target for intervention in this population.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Psychology (A.S., K.M., S.K.L.), Obstetrics and Gynecology (S.K.L.), and Urology (S.K.L.) and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (S.K.L.), University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schrepf
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markon
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lutgendorf
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D015415:Biomarkers; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004644:Emotions; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein