title: Accumulation of adverse childhood events and overweight in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: This study systematically summarizes the evidence of all observational studies investigating the relation between accumulation of adverse life events and measures of overweight in children <18 years.
  
  
  
  MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were systematically searched (last search date 18 February 2015). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for methodological quality assessment. Study estimates were pooled using a random-effects model, and sources of heterogeneity were explored (PROSPERO registration number CRD42014014927).
  
  
  
  Eighteen articles were included, containing five longitudinal (n = 6,361) and fourteen cross-sectional and case-control study results (n = 52,318). The pooled estimate of the longitudinal studies showed that accumulation of adverse life events is positively related to childhood overweight measures (OR [95% CI] = 1.12 [1.01-1.25]). Cross-sectional and case-control study results were heterogeneous. Subgroup analyses showed that cross-sectional and case-control studies using a continuous adverse events measure, studies using a continuous overweight measure, and studies in children >6-12 years also generated positive pooled estimates, while the pooled estimate of studies assessing recent adverse events (past 2 years) was indicative of no relation with overweight.
  
  
  
  Accumulation of adverse life events and childhood overweight measures are positively associated. However, increases in overweight measures in response to adverse childhood events do not seem to occur instantaneously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.|Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), The Hague, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leonie K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Elsenburg
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), The Hague, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kim J E
authors.initials: KJE
authors.lastname: van Wijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.|Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), The Hague, the Netherlands.|Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aart C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Liefbroer
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nynke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smidt
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications*