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- Title
Association of childhood sexual abuse with obesity in a community sample of lesbians.
- Authors
Aaron, Deborah J.; Hughes, Tonda L.
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>Our goal was to examine the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and obesity in a community-based sample of self-identified lesbians.<bold>Research Methods and Procedures: </bold>A diverse sample of women who self-identified as lesbian was recruited from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Women (n=416) were interviewed about sexual abuse experiences that occurred before the age of 18. Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate BMI and categorize women as normal-weight (<25.0 kg/m2), overweight (25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2), obese (30.0 to 39.9 kg/m2), or severely obese (>or=40 kg/m2). The relationship between CSA and BMI was examined using multinomial logistic regression analysis.<bold>Results: </bold>Overall, 31% of women in the sample reported CSA, and 57% had BMI>or=25.0 kg/m2. Mean BMI was 27.8 (+/-7.2) kg/m2 and was significantly higher among women who reported CSA than among those who did not report CSA (29.4 vs. 27.1, p<0.01). CSA was significantly related to weight status; 39% of women who reported CSA compared with 25% of women who did not report CSA were obese (p=0.004). After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and education, women who reported CSA were more likely to be obese (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.4) or severely obese (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.2).<bold>Discussion: </bold>Our findings, in conjunction with the available literature, suggest that CSA may be an important risk factor for obesity. Understanding CSA as a factor that may contribute to weight gain or act as a barrier to weight loss or maintenance in lesbians, a high-risk group for both CSA and obesity, is important for developing successful obesity interventions for this group of women.
- Subjects
ILLINOIS; CHILD sexual abuse; LESBIAN health; OBESITY in women; SEXUAL abuse victims; STATISTICAL sampling; OBESITY &; psychology; OBESITY complications; BODY weight; LESBIANS; OBESITY; RESEARCH funding; RESIDENTIAL patterns; BODY mass index
- Publication
Obesity (19307381), 2007, Vol 15, Issue 4, p1023
- ISSN
1930-7381
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1038/oby.2007.634