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@ARTICLE{Tpfer:285261,
author = {Töpfer, Philipp and Klinger-König, Johanna and
Siewert-Markus, Ulrike and Schipf, Sabine and Fischer, Beate
and Sedlmeier, Anja M and Hebestreit, Antje and Ahrens,
Wolfgang and Berger, Klaus and Brenner, Hermann and Do,
Stefanie and Heise, Jana-Kristin and Jaskulski, Stefanie and
Karch, André and Keil, Thomas and Klett-Tammen, Carolina
and Leitzmann, Michael F and Peters, Annette and Schmidt,
Börge and Schulze, Matthias B and Willich, Stefan N and
Dörr, Marcus and Völzke, Henry and Markus, Marcello R P
and Stracke, Sylvia and Grabe, Hans J and Ittermann, Till},
title = {{S}ex-dependent associations of childhood maltreatment with
obesity-related traits: results from the {G}erman {N}ational
{C}ohort ({NAKO}).},
journal = {International journal of obesity},
volume = {50},
number = {2},
issn = {0307-0565},
address = {Avenel, NJ},
publisher = {Nature Publ. Group},
reportid = {DZNE-2026-00203},
pages = {329 - 337},
year = {2026},
abstract = {The relationship between childhood maltreatment (CM) and
obesity is nuanced, and recent evidence suggests stronger
associations between CM and obesity-related traits in
females compared to males. This study aims to validate and
extend these findings in a large sample from the German
National Cohort (NAKO).The NAKO is a population-based cohort
study including 204,744 adults. For the present analyses,
151,143 individuals (74,596 female) were included. CM was
assessed using the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS). From the
CTS, an overall severity score (CTS sum score), a cumulative
CM score (number of CM subtypes with at least moderate
severity), and five CTS subtypes were considered as
exposures. Obesity-related traits included anthropometric
(height, weight, body mass index [BMI], waist circumference
[WC]) and body fat markers (relative fat mass [rFM],
subcutaneous [SAT], visceral adipose tissue [VAT]).
Sex-stratified linear and logistic regression models were
adjusted for age, education, and examination center to
associate CTS-based scores with obesity-related
traits.Associations of the CTS sum score with weight, BMI,
WC, rFM, and SAT were stronger in females compared to males,
while similar associations were observed for VAT. In both
sexes, most obesity-related traits exhibited dose-response
relationships with increasing numbers of CM subtypes.
Compared to unexposed females, females with exposure to ≥3
CM subtypes had a higher risk for obesity (i.e., BMI ≥ 30
kg/m2; OR = 1.56; $95\%$ CI: 1.43, 1.71) and high WC (i.e.,
WC ≥ 88 cm; OR = 1.39; $95\%$ CI: 1.29, 1.50). In males,
exposure to ≥3 CM subtypes was also associated with
increased obesity risk (OR = 1.51; $95\%$ CI: 1.32, 1.72)
and high WC (i.e., WC ≥ 102 cm; OR = 1.31; $95\%$ CI:
1.18, 1.44). Physical and emotional abuse exhibited the
strongest average associations and were associated with the
most outcomes.Associations of CM exposure with adult
anthropometric and body fat markers are stronger in females
compared to males.},
keywords = {Humans / Male / Female / Germany: epidemiology / Adult /
Obesity: epidemiology / Middle Aged / Cohort Studies / Sex
Factors / Body Mass Index / Child / Risk Factors},
cin = {AG Grabe},
ddc = {610},
cid = {I:(DE-2719)5000001},
pnm = {353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-353},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
pubmed = {pmid:41652183},
pmc = {pmc:PMC12913021},
doi = {10.1038/s41366-025-01914-2},
url = {https://pub.dzne.de/record/285261},
}