Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns
Abstract Background Although traumatic experiences in childhood have been recognized as contributors to disordered eating behaviors, critical gaps remain in our understanding. There is limited evidence on the individual, cumulative, and distinct patterns of childhood trauma associated with risky res...
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-025-00928-y |
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| author | Yan’e Lu Wenwen Xu Suying Wu Liangliang Ping Qingyan Wu Yuyun Huang Li Zhang Farong Liu Jia Jia Liu Jianyu Que |
| author_facet | Yan’e Lu Wenwen Xu Suying Wu Liangliang Ping Qingyan Wu Yuyun Huang Li Zhang Farong Liu Jia Jia Liu Jianyu Que |
| author_sort | Yan’e Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Although traumatic experiences in childhood have been recognized as contributors to disordered eating behaviors, critical gaps remain in our understanding. There is limited evidence on the individual, cumulative, and distinct patterns of childhood trauma associated with risky restrictive eating and binge/purging behaviors. Methods Individuals aged 12–25 years from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, completed online questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, risky restrictive eating and binge/purging behaviors. Childhood trauma was examined through three analytical approaches: individual types, cumulative trauma scores, and latent class analysis. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors. Results Among the 3424 participants, 7.3% (n = 251) reported disordered eating behaviors occurring two or more times per month over the past year. After adjusting for covariates, our analyses showed that emotional abuse independently associated with increased odds of both risky restrictive eating (OR: 2.11, 95% CI 1.28–3.47) and binge/purging behaviors (OR: 2.20, 95% CI 1.34–3.62). Physical abuse was associated only with increased odds of binge/purging behavior (OR: 2.09, 95% CI 1.20–3.64). Traumatic experiences showed a cumulative effect on disordered eating, significant at two or more incidents. Three trauma patterns were identified: ‘low trauma,’ ‘low neglect,’ and ‘high trauma.’ Youth with the ‘high trauma’ pattern exhibited the highest odds of both risky restrictive eating (OR: 2.88, 95% CI 1.65–5.02) and binge/purging behaviors (OR: 3.21, 95% CI 1.85–5.54), whereas those in the ‘high neglect’ pattern showed increased odds only for binge/purging behavior (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.01–2.29). Conclusions Our findings highlight the need to consider the types, numbers, and patterns of childhood trauma when developing prevention and treatment strategies for disordered eating behaviors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0bb19b0135b481eb000dc89224d2324 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1753-2000 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0bb19b0135b481eb000dc89224d23242025-08-20T04:01:47ZengBMCChild and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health1753-20002025-08-0119111110.1186/s13034-025-00928-yChildhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patternsYan’e Lu0Wenwen Xu1Suying Wu2Liangliang Ping3Qingyan Wu4Yuyun Huang5Li Zhang6Farong Liu7Jia Jia Liu8Jianyu Que9School of Nursing, Peking UniversityXiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersXiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersXiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersFujian Medical UniversityFujian Medical UniversityMental Health Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous RegionXiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersSchool of Nursing, Peking UniversityXiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersAbstract Background Although traumatic experiences in childhood have been recognized as contributors to disordered eating behaviors, critical gaps remain in our understanding. There is limited evidence on the individual, cumulative, and distinct patterns of childhood trauma associated with risky restrictive eating and binge/purging behaviors. Methods Individuals aged 12–25 years from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, completed online questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, risky restrictive eating and binge/purging behaviors. Childhood trauma was examined through three analytical approaches: individual types, cumulative trauma scores, and latent class analysis. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors. Results Among the 3424 participants, 7.3% (n = 251) reported disordered eating behaviors occurring two or more times per month over the past year. After adjusting for covariates, our analyses showed that emotional abuse independently associated with increased odds of both risky restrictive eating (OR: 2.11, 95% CI 1.28–3.47) and binge/purging behaviors (OR: 2.20, 95% CI 1.34–3.62). Physical abuse was associated only with increased odds of binge/purging behavior (OR: 2.09, 95% CI 1.20–3.64). Traumatic experiences showed a cumulative effect on disordered eating, significant at two or more incidents. Three trauma patterns were identified: ‘low trauma,’ ‘low neglect,’ and ‘high trauma.’ Youth with the ‘high trauma’ pattern exhibited the highest odds of both risky restrictive eating (OR: 2.88, 95% CI 1.65–5.02) and binge/purging behaviors (OR: 3.21, 95% CI 1.85–5.54), whereas those in the ‘high neglect’ pattern showed increased odds only for binge/purging behavior (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.01–2.29). Conclusions Our findings highlight the need to consider the types, numbers, and patterns of childhood trauma when developing prevention and treatment strategies for disordered eating behaviors.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-025-00928-yChildhood traumaDisordered eatingYouthCumulative scoreLatent class analysis |
| spellingShingle | Yan’e Lu Wenwen Xu Suying Wu Liangliang Ping Qingyan Wu Yuyun Huang Li Zhang Farong Liu Jia Jia Liu Jianyu Que Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health Childhood trauma Disordered eating Youth Cumulative score Latent class analysis |
| title | Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns |
| title_full | Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns |
| title_fullStr | Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns |
| title_short | Childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth: examining individual types, cumulative numbers, and latent patterns |
| title_sort | childhood trauma and disordered eating behaviors in youth examining individual types cumulative numbers and latent patterns |
| topic | Childhood trauma Disordered eating Youth Cumulative score Latent class analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-025-00928-y |
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