Early Child Neglect: Does It Predict Obesity or Underweight in Later Childhood?

• NCJ Number: 231521
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2010 Pages: 250-254
• Author(s): David S. Bennett; Margaret Wolan Sullivan; Shanel M. Thompson; Michael Lewis
• Date Published: August 2010
• Length: 5 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA11153/MH56751; MH64473
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether neglected children were at increased risk for being either underweight or overweight.

Abstract

Child neglect has been hypothesized to be a risk factor for both obesity and underweight in early childhood, although little research has examined the relation between neglect and body mass index (BMI). The current study examined the relation between neglect and BMI among 185 children (91 with a Child Protective Services [CPS] history of neglect) who were initially seen at ages 4-6 years and who were followed through ages 7-9 years. Neglected and comparison children were found to have similar BMIs, although both groups had BMIs that were significantly greater than Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) norms for age, gender, and ethnicity. Neglect chronicity did predict lower BMIs but only at ages 8 and 9 years. The current findings suggest that greater examination of moderators is needed to identify the specific contexts in which neglect is related to children's weight. Figure, table, and and references (Published Abstract)