title: Dating violence, childhood maltreatment, and BMI from adolescence to young adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested whether dating violence (DV) victimization is associated with increases in BMI across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and whether gender and previous exposure to child maltreatment modify such increases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from participants (N = 9295; 49.9% female) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight at waves 2, 3, and 4 of the study. DV victimization was measured at waves 2, 3, and 4 by using items from the revised Conflict Tactics Scales. Linear regression by using generalized estimating equations with robust SEs was used to test the association. Models were stratified according to gender and history of child maltreatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From baseline to wave 4, BMI increased on average 6.5 units (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.2-6.7) and 6.8 units (95% CI: 6.5-7.1) among men and women, respectively, and nearly one-half (45.5% of men; 43.9% of women) reported DV at some point. In stratified models, DV victimization (β: 0.3 [95% CI: 0.0-0.6]) independently predicted BMI increase over time in women. Exposure to childhood sexual abuse magnified the increase in BMI associated with DV victimization (β: 1.3 [95% CI: 0.3-2.3]). No other types of childhood maltreatment were significant modifiers of the DV-BMI association. Violence victimization was not associated with BMI among men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening and support for DV victims, especially women who have also experienced childhood maltreatment, may be warranted to reduce the likelihood of health consequences associated with victimization.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, School of Public Health, and cjclark@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Cari Jo
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Independent Researcher, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Rachael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Medical School.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Everson-Rose
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, and.
authors.forename: Sonya S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, and.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, and.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Connett
authors.affiliation: Ross University, Roseau, Dominica, West Indies; and.
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: To
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Shakira F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Suglia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescents; child neglect; domestic violence; sexual abuse