Child maltreatment and metabolic syndrome in midlife: a life-course approach

Abstract

Evidence suggests that childhood adverse events are associated with an elevated risk of adult diseases in later life. However, there is limited knowledge of child maltreatment (CM) on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. This study examined the role of CM and the mechanism through which CM influences the development of MetS in midlife. The National Child Development (NCDS) 1958 British birth cohort study in the UK consists of approximately 18,558 babies born in the same week in March in England, Scotland and Wales. At intervals, the NCDS cohort was followed up from birth to the age of 60 in 2018, and information on CM was prospectively measured at ages 7, 11, and 16 and retrospectively at age 45. Also, research professionals measured information on MetS during the biomedical survey when the cohort members were 45 years old. The association between CM and MetS was examined using suitable statistical methods such as Logistic regression and Structural equation modelling, and estimates were presented as odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and standardised coefficients. The main finding shows an indirect path where smoking fully mediated the effect of all CM measures obtained retrospectively on the risk of MetS. Hence, the knowledge of the mechanism through which CM influences MetS should play a significant role in the prevention of MetS. Further research is required to consolidate these findings further.