Adverse Childhood Experiences, Epigenetic Measures, and Obesity in Youth

Abstract

This study lays the groundwork for future longitudinal studies to elucidate these mechanisms further and identify novel interventions to alleviate the health burdens associated with early adversity.

Association between cumulative exposure to adverse childhood experiences and childhood obesity

“…Lynch et al . examined data from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health and found that exposure to two or more adverse family experiences (AFEs) was associated with higher odds of overweight and obese status [ 25 ]. Heerman et al reported a similar result utilizing the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health.…”

“…They found that children who had more AFEs were also at higher risk for overweight or obesity status [26]. Furthermore, Lynch et al found that exposure to certain childhood experiences, death of a parent and hardship due to family income, were stronger predictors of childhood obesity than other adverse experiences [25]. Isohookana et al observed that female adolescents who had experienced adverse childhood events were more likely to be obese and engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors [27].…”

“…The association between ACE and childhood health outcomes, including obesity, is biologically plausible and emerging evidence suggests that toxic stress, the accumulation or chronic activation of the body's physiological stress response, is a potential mechanism [30]. Toxic stress exposure may manifest in the release of inflammatory cytokines, increased cortisol levels, and epigenetic modifications [25]. Kaufman et al observed that ten methylation sites interact with ACEs to predict cross-sectional measures of BMI and an additional six sites were found to exert a main effect in predicting BMI in youth [25].…”

“…Toxic stress exposure may manifest in the release of inflammatory cytokines, increased cortisol levels, and epigenetic modifications [25]. Kaufman et al observed that ten methylation sites interact with ACEs to predict cross-sectional measures of BMI and an additional six sites were found to exert a main effect in predicting BMI in youth [25]. In addition to influencing biological pathways, early life stressors may affect child behavioral patterns, such as eating, sedentary behavior, and sleep, which could potentially result in increased childhood obesity [4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12]31].…”

Life-Course Trauma and Later Life Mental, Physical, and Cognitive Health in a Postapartheid South African Population: Findings From the HAALSI study

“…Research from high-income countries suggests that a range of traumatic events (TEs) including abuse, neglect, and exposure to or experience of violence are important determinants of physical and mental health in later life (Kaufman et al, 2018;Riem & Karreman, 2019;Wiehn et al, 2018). Trauma in childhood is thought to have direct effects on cognitive development, inflammation, and stress hormones, leading to poor cardiovascular and cardiometabolic outcomes and higher rates of depression and anxiety (Danese et al, 2009;Danese & McEwen, 2012;Suglia et al, 2018;Tosevski & Milovancevic, 2006).…”