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Association between cumulative exposure to adverse childhood experiences and childhood obesity. PLoS One 2020;15(9):e0239940

Date

09/30/2020

Pubmed ID

32991598

Pubmed Central ID

PMC7523986

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0239940

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85092144549 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   10 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with many childhood diseases and poor health outcomes in adulthood. However, the association with childhood obesity is inconsistent. We investigated the association between reported cumulative ACE score and body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of patients at a single institution.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included children aged 2-20 years that were screened in a general pediatrics clinic for ACEs utilizing the Center for Youth Wellness ACEs questionnaire between July 2017 and July 2018. Overall ACE score was categorized as 'no exposure' (score = 0), 'low exposure' (score = 1), and 'high exposure' (score≥ 2). BMI was categorized as overweight/obese (BMI percentile ≥ 85) or non-obese (BMI percentile < 85). The association between ACEs score and obesity was determined using univariate and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Of the 948 patients included in the study, 30% (n = 314) were overweight/obese and 53% (n = 504) had no ACE exposure, 19% (n = 179) had low ACE exposure, and 28% (n = 265) had high ACE exposure. High ACE exposure was associated with increased odds of obesity (OR = 1.47, 95%CI = 1.07-2.03, p = 0.026). However, after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, insurance type, and birth weight, the association attenuated and was null (OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.70-1.46, p = 0.97).

CONCLUSION: The study findings may suggest an association between ACE and childhood obesity. However, the association attenuated after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, insurance type, and birth weight. Larger prospective studies are warranted to better understand the association.

Author List

Purswani P, Marsicek SM, Amankwah EK

Author

Ernest Amankwah PhD Director, Associate Professor in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Male
Pediatric Obesity
Socioeconomic Factors
Young Adult