Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
7240711 Journal of Adolescence 2018 9 Pages PDF
Abstract
Individuals who reported sexual maltreatment were 27% more likely to be obese (BMI≥30; AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.98-1.63) and 72% more likely to be extremely obese (BMI≥40) in adulthood (AOR = 1.72, 1.18-2.51) than those who did not. Individuals who reported physical maltreatment were 37% more likely to be extremely obese than those who did not (AOR = 1.37, 1.11-1.70). These relationships were true for males and females, and interaction terms by sex were not statistically significant. Adolescent depressive symptoms and BMI were statistically significant mediators between sexual and physical maltreatment and extreme obesity (p < .05), and between physical maltreatment and self-rated obesity (p < .05). Therefore, adolescent characteristics are mechanisms on the causal pathway between maltreatment and obesity in adulthood. Further research should explore these mechanisms.
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