Early Trauma, C-Reactive Protein and Eating Disorder
[Source]
Objective
Childhood trauma is known to be related to inflammatory processes in adulthood, but underlying psychological/behavioral mechanisms have not been fully characterized. To investigate associations between childhood trauma and inflammation (indexed by C-reactive protein (CRP)), we used a structural equation modeling approach on a subsample of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) biomarker project.
Methods
Participants included 687 men and women without history of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or stroke who completed a physical examination, extensive questionnaires and provided blood. To test for gender differences we held as many parameters invariant across gender as possible while still retaining good model fit.
Results
Tests of direct and indirect effects revealed that childhood trauma was significantly associated with elevated CRP, via elevated body mass index (BMI; p
Conclusions
Our results are consistent with a model in which childhood trauma is associated with elevated C-reactive protein, a relationship associated with stress reactivity and compensatory emotional eating. Men and women may experience trauma in qualitatively distinct patterns but share many vulnerabilities which can lead to elevated health risks. Emotional eating may be an important target for intervention in this population.
Keywords: C-reactive protein, inflammation, emotional eating, childhood trauma, anxiety, stress, cardiovascular disease
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