Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Nov;23(4):1107-24.
doi: 10.1017/S0954579411000587.

Child maltreatment and allostatic load: consequences for physical and mental health in children from low-income families

Fred A Rogosch  1 , Melissa N Dackis, Dante Cicchetti
Affiliations

Child maltreatment and allostatic load: consequences for physical and mental health in children from low-income families

Fred A Rogosch et al. Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

Child maltreatment and biomarkers of allostatic load were investigated in relation to child health problems and psychological symptomatology. Participants attended a summer research day camp and included 137 maltreated and 110 nonmaltreated low-income children, who were aged 8 to 10 years (M = 9.42) and racially and ethnically diverse; 52% were male. Measurements obtained included salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandosterone, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, and blood pressure; these indicators provided a composite index of allostatic load. Child self-report and camp adult-rater reports of child symptomatology were obtained; mothers provided information on health problems. The results indicated that higher allostatic load and child maltreatment status independently predicted poorer health outcomes and greater behavior problems. Moderation effects indicated that allostatic load was related to somatic complaints, attention problems, and thought problems only among maltreated children. Risks associated with high waist-hip ratio, low morning cortisol, and high morning dehydroepiandosterone also were related to depressive symptoms only for maltreated children. The results support an allostatic load conceptualization of the impact of high environmental stress and child abuse and neglect on child health and behavioral outcomes and have important implications for long-term physical and mental health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interaction of allostatic load and maltreatment status in predicting somatic complaints on the Teacher Report Form (TRF).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Interaction of allostatic load and maltreatment status in predicting attention problems on the Teacher Report Form (TRF).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Interaction of allostatic load and maltreatment status in predicting thought problems on the Teacher Report Form (TRF).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Interaction of waist-hip ratio (WHR) and maltreatment status in predicting child-endorsed depressive symptoms on the Child Depressive Inventory (CDI).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Interaction of low morning cortisol risk and maltreatment status in predicting child-endorsed depressive symptoms on the Child Depressive Inventory (CDI).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Interaction of morning DHEA and maltreatment status in predicting child- endorsed depressive symptoms on the Child Depressive Inventory (CDI).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Achenbach T. Manual for the Teacher Report Form and 1991 profile. Burlington: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont; 1991.
    1. Anda RF, Brown DW, Felitti VJ, Bremner D, Dube SR, Giles WH. Adverse childhood experiences and prescribed psychotropic medications in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2007;32:389–394. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barnett D, Manly JT, Cicchetti D. Defining child maltreatment: the interface between policy and research. In: Cicchetti D, Toth SL, editors. Child abuse, child development, and social policy. Norwood, NJ: Abex; 1993. pp. 7–73.
    1. Blair C, Diamond A. Biological processes in prevention and intervention: The promotion of self-regulation as a means of preventing school failure. Development and Psychopathology. 2008;20:899–911. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bolger KE, Patterson CJ, Kupersmidt JB. Peer relationships and self-esteem among children who have been maltreated. Child Development. 1998;69:1171–1197. - PubMed

Publication types