IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v105y2014icp122-130.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Childhood trauma and metabolic syndrome in men and women

Author

Listed:
  • Lee, Chioun
  • Tsenkova, Vera
  • Carr, Deborah

Abstract

The long-term effects of childhood trauma on health are well-documented, but few population-based studies have explored how childhood trauma affects the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. Using data from 1234 adults in the second wave of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), we investigate (1) the extent to which childhood abuse affects the risk of developing MetS in adulthood; (2) how the severity of different types of abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, or cumulative abuse) affects this risk; and (3) the extent to which adult socioeconomic status (SES), maladaptive stress responses, and unhealthy behaviors mediate the association. We also test whether these associations differ significantly by sex. We find that emotional and physical abuse increase the risk of developing MetS for both sexes, whereas sexual abuse is a predictor for women only. For both sexes, individuals who experienced more cumulative abuse have a greater risk of developing MetS. Adult SES partially explains the association between childhood abuse and MetS. Maladaptive stress responses and unhealthy behaviors further explain the association. Among the potential mediators, poor sleep quality was a significant pathway for men and women, while stress-induced eating was a significant pathway for women only. Our findings suggest that the well-documented health consequences of early life trauma may vary by the nature of the trauma, the victim's sex, and the coping mechanisms that he or she employs.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Chioun & Tsenkova, Vera & Carr, Deborah, 2014. "Childhood trauma and metabolic syndrome in men and women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 122-130.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:105:y:2014:i:c:p:122-130
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.01.017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953614000422
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.01.017?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Greenfield, Emily A. & Marks, Nadine F., 2009. "Violence from parents in childhood and obesity in adulthood: Using food in response to stress as a mediator of risk," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 791-798, March.
    2. Arber, Sara & Bote, Marcos & Meadows, Robert, 2009. "Gender and socio-economic patterning of self-reported sleep problems in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 281-289, January.
    3. Springer, Kristen W., 2009. "Childhood physical abuse and midlife physical health: Testing a multi-pathway life course model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 138-146, July.
    4. Kelleher, K. & Chaffin, M. & Hollenberg, J. & Fischer, E., 1994. "Alcohol and drug disorders among physically abusive and neglectful parents in a community-based sample," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 84(10), pages 1586-1590.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Liu Liu & Xiaotao Wang & Binli Chen & Wing-Hong Chui & Xiying Wang, 2022. "Association between Child Abuse, Depression, and School Bullying among Chinese Secondary School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Robin Dion & Lareina LaFlair & Melissa Azur & Michaella Morzuch & Angela D'Angelo, "undated". "Trauma-Informed Approaches for Programs Serving Fathers in Re-Entry: A Review of the Literature and Environmental Scan," Mathematica Policy Research Reports ddc0030dd4b1434cb0eb912c2, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Kohrt, Brandon A. & Carruth, Lauren, 2022. "Syndemic effects in complex humanitarian emergencies: A framework for understanding political violence and improving multi-morbidity health outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    4. Claire Devine & Hannah Cohen-Cline, 2022. "Social and Behavioral Pathways between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Poor Adult Physical Health: Mediation by Early Adulthood Experiences in a Low-Income Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, August.
    5. Saxena, Akshar & Mendenhall, Emily, 2022. "Syndemic thinking in large-scale studies: Case studies of disability, hypertension, and diabetes across income groups in India and China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    6. E-Jin Park & Shin-Young Kim & Yeeun Kim & Dajung Sung & Bora Kim & Yerin Hyun & Kyu-In Jung & Seung-Yup Lee & Hayeon Kim & Subin Park & Bung-Nyun Kim & Min-Hyeon Park, 2020. "The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sleep Problems among Adolescent Students: Mediation by Depression or Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-15, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Morton, Patricia M. & Mustillo, Sarah A. & Ferraro, Kenneth F., 2014. "Does childhood misfortune raise the risk of acute myocardial infarction in adulthood?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 133-141.
    2. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Asante, Augustine, 2023. "Neighbourhood crime and obesity: Longitudinal evidence from Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    3. Tonje Holte Stea & Herolinda Shatri & Siri Håvås Haugland & Annette Løvheim Kleppang, 2022. "Association between Self-Reported Childhood Difficulties and Obesity and Health-Related Behaviors in Adulthood—A Cross-Sectional Study among 28,047 Adults from the General Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Costa-Font, Joan & Flèche, Sarah, 2020. "Child sleep and mother labour market outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Joan Costa-Font & Sarah Flèche, 2018. "Child Sleep and Maternal Labour Market Outcomes [Discussion Paper Series]," Working Papers halshs-03204629, HAL.
    6. Costa-Font, Joan & Fleche, Sarah & Pagan, Ricardo, 2024. "The labour market returns to sleep," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. Costa-Font, Joan & Flèche, Sarah, 2017. "Parental sleep and employment: evidence from a British cohort study," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 69530, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Mallory Avery & Jessica LaVoice, 2023. "The effect of “failed” community mental health centers on non‐white mortality," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 1362-1393, June.
    9. Sara Markowitz & Alison Cuellar & Ryan Conrad & Michael Grossman, 2014. "Alcohol control and foster care," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 589-612, December.
    10. Högnäs, Robin S. & Bijlsma, Maarten J. & Högnäs, Ulf & Blomqvist, Sandra & Westerlund, Hugo & Hanson, Linda Magnusson, 2022. "It's giving me the blues: A fixed-effects and g-formula approach to understanding job insecurity, sleep disturbances, and major depression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    11. Wenwen Wu & Wenru Wang & Zhuangzhuang Dong & Yaofei Xie & Yaohua Gu & Yuting Zhang & Mengying Li & Xiaodong Tan, 2018. "Sleep Quality and Its Associated Factors among Low-Income Adults in a Rural Area of China: A Population-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Nettleton, Sarah & Neale, Joanne & Pickering, Lucy, 2011. "Techniques and transitions: A sociological analysis of sleeping practices amongst recovering heroin users," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(8), pages 1367-1373, April.
    13. Jara-Díaz, Sergio R. & Rosales-Salas, Jorge, 2020. "Time use: The role of sleep," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 1-20.
    14. Clay-Warner, Jody & Edgemon, Timothy G. & Okech, David & Anarfi, John K., 2021. "Violence predicts physical health consequences of human trafficking: Findings from a longitudinal study of labor trafficking in Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    15. Massimiliano Bratti & Mariapia Mendola & Alfonso Miranda, 2015. "Hard to Forget: the Long-Lasting Impact of War on Mental Health," Development Working Papers 388, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    16. Frame, Laura, 1999. "Suitable homes revisited: An historical look at child protection and welfare reform," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(9-10), pages 719-754.
    17. Schilling, Robert & Mares, Alvin & El-Bassel, Nabila, 2004. "Women in detoxification: loss of guardianship of their children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 463-480, May.
    18. Xiangming Fang & Xiaodong Zheng & Deborah A. Fry & Gary Ganz & Tabitha Casey & Celia Hsiao & Catherine L. Ward, 2017. "The Economic Burden of Violence against Children in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, November.
    19. Shun-ichiro Asahara & Hiroshi Miura & Wataru Ogawa & Yoshikazu Tamori, 2020. "Sex difference in the association of obesity with personal or social background among urban residents in Japan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-11, November.
    20. Sara Markowitz & Alison Evans Cuellar & Ryan M. Conrad & Michael Grossman, 2011. "The Effects of Alcohol Policies in Reducing Entry Rates and Time Spent in Foster Care," NBER Working Papers 16915, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:105:y:2014:i:c:p:122-130. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.