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. 2026 Feb 6;50(2):329–337. doi: 10.1038/s41366-025-01914-2

Table 2.

Sex-stratified associations of total and cumulative childhood maltreatment exposure with anthropometric and body fat markers.

Outcome CTS sum score 1 vs. no CM 2 vs. no CM 3+ vs. no CM
Body height in cm
 Males −0.08 (−0.10; −0.06)a −0.39 (−0.52; −0.25)a −0.38 (−0.61; −0.15)a −0.69 (−1.01; −0.37)a
 Females −0.03 (−0.05; −0.01)a −0.05 (−0.17; 0.07) −0.38 (−0.58; −0.19)a −0.15 (−0.37; 0.07)
Body weight in kg
 Males 0.10 (0.05; 0.14)a 0.26 (−0.03; 0.55) 0.93 (0.42; 1.45)a 1.46 (0.76; 2.16)a
 Females 0.20 (0.16; 0.24)a 0.52 (0.24; 0.80)a 1.42 (0.96; 1.88)a 2.90 (2.38; 3.43)a
Body mass index in kg/m2
 Males 0.05 (0.04; 0.07)a 0.20 (0.11; 0.28)a 0.38 (0.24; 0.53)a 0.66 (0.47; 0.86)a
 Females 0.08 (0.07; 0.10)a 0.19 (0.09; 0.29)a 0.63 (0.47; 0.79)a 1.12 (0.93; 1.30)a
Waist circumference in cm
 Males 0.14 (0.10; 0.17)a 0.38 (0.15; 0.60)a 1.09 (0.69; 1.49)a 1.62 (1.07; 2.17)a
 Females 0.21 (0.18; 0.25)a 0.53 (0.29; 0.77)a 1.65 (1.26; 2.04)a 2.73 (2.29; 3.17)a
Waist to height ratio in %
 Males 0.10 (0.08; 0.12)a 0.31 (0.18; 0.44)a 0.71 (0.49; 0.94)a 1.10 (0.80; 1.41)a
 Females 0.14 (0.12; 0.16)a 0.33 (0.18; 0.48)a 1.11 (0.87; 1.35)a 1.68 (1.41; 1.95)a
Relative fat mass in %
 Males 0.04 (0.02; 0.05)a 0.14 (0.02; 0.27) 0.31 (0.08; 0.54) 0.65 (0.35; 0.96)a
 Females 0.07 (0.05; 0.09)a 0.12 (−0.01; 0.26) 0.58 (0.36; 0.80)a 1.16 (0.91; 1.41)a
Subcutaneous adipose tissue in mm
 Males −0.01 (−0.06; 0.04) 0.08 (−0.23; 0.39) −0.35 (−0.92; 0.22) 0.13 (−0.67; 0.94)
 Females 0.10 (0.05; 0.16)a 0.33 (−0.07; 0.72) 0.81 (0.14; 1.48) 1.31 (0.53; 2.08)a
Visceral adipose tissue in mm
 Males 0.31 (0.18; 0.45)a 1.28 (0.42; 2.13) 1.34 (−0.22; 2.89) 3.17 (0.97; 5.37)
 Females 0.28 (0.17; 0.39)a 0.94 (0.17; 1.70) 2.65 (1.35; 3.96)a 2.58 (1.07; 4.09)a

Data are reported as β coefficients and 95% confidence intervals derived from sex-stratified linear regression models adjusted for age, years of formal education, and examination center. CTS sum scores exhibit larger average positive associations with most obesity-related outcomes in females as opposed to males. Cumulative CM exposure is associated with weight, BMI, waist circumference, and relative fat mass in a dose-response manner. Average dose-response associations are larger in females compared to males. Only height exhibits negative associations with CM and more consistently so in males as opposed to females.

CM childhood maltreatment, CTS Childhood Trauma Screener.

aSignificant after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.003).