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Relationship of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Eating Disturbance in Children

NCJ Number
185284
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Volume: 39 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2000 Pages: 1277-1283
Author(s)
Stephen A. Wonderlich Ph.D.; Ross D. Crosby Ph.D.; James E. Mitchell M.D.; Jennifer A. Roberts M.S.; Beth Haseltine M.S.; Gail DeMuth R.N.; Kevin M. Thompson Ph.D.
Date Published
October 2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study tested the hypothesis that childhood sexual abuse increases the risk of eating disturbance in children.
Abstract
Data obtained from 20 sexually abused children were compared with data obtained from 20 nonabused control children. All subjects were females between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Subjects completed a battery of tests that assessed eating disorder behaviors, body image concern, and childhood trauma history. A comparison of the two groups showed that the abused children had higher levels of weight dissatisfaction, along with purging and dieting behavior. Furthermore, abused children reported eating less than control children when they felt emotionally upset. Abused children were less likely than control children to exhibit perfectionistic tendencies, but more likely to desire thinner body types. This is the first controlled study to examine the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and eating disturbance that relied on children as subjects. The results support previous findings that involved studies of adult subjects. The latter show that a history of childhood sexual abuse is associated with weight and body dissatisfaction, along with purging and dietary restriction. 2 tables and 38 references