Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2018 Jul;26(7):1117-1124. doi: 10.1002/oby.22155. Epub 2018 Apr 14.
The objective of this study is to critically review the literature on early life stress in relation to obesity in humans, including the multiple biological and behavioral mechanisms through which early life stress exposure (birth to the age of 5 years) may associate with obesity risk during childhood.
A review of the literature was conducted to identify studies on associations between early childhood stress and risk for obesity and the mechanisms of association. Multiple databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Google Scholar) were used in the search as well as a "snowball" search strategy. All study designs were included.
Early life stress and adverse childhood experiences are associated with obesity and overweight in adults. Evidence is less consistent in children. Studies vary in the nature of the stress examined (e.g., chronic vs. acute), sample characteristics, and study designs. Longitudinal studies are needed, as the effects of early life stress exposure may not emerge until later in the life-span. Early life stress exposure is associated with biological and behavioral pathways that may increase risk for childhood obesity.
There is evidence that early life stress is associated with multiple biological and behavioral pathways in children that may increase risk for later obesity. Little work has detailed the interconnections among these mechanisms across development or identified potential moderators of the association. Mapping the mechanisms connecting early life stress exposure to obesity risk in young children longitudinally should be a priority for obesity researchers. Recommendations for developmentally sensitive approaches to research that can inform obesity prevention strategies are presented.
本研究旨在批判性地回顾有关人类早期生活压力与肥胖之间关系的文献，包括早期生活压力暴露（出生至 5 岁）与儿童期肥胖风险相关的多种生物学和行为机制。
对文献进行了回顾，以确定有关早期儿童压力与肥胖风险之间关联以及关联机制的研究。使用了多个数据库（PubMed、PsycInfo、Google Scholar）进行搜索，并采用了“滚雪球”搜索策略。所有研究设计均包含在内。
早期生活压力和不良的儿童经历与成年人的肥胖和超重有关。在儿童中，证据不太一致。研究在研究的压力性质（例如，慢性与急性）、样本特征和研究设计方面存在差异。需要进行纵向研究，因为早期生活压力暴露的影响可能要到生命后期才会显现。早期生活压力暴露与可能增加儿童肥胖风险的生物学和行为途径有关。
有证据表明，早期生活压力与儿童中多种生物学和行为途径有关，这些途径可能会增加日后肥胖的风险。很少有研究详细描述了这些机制在整个发育过程中的相互联系，也没有确定关联的潜在调节因素。对幼儿进行纵向研究，以阐明将早期生活压力暴露与肥胖风险联系起来的机制，应成为肥胖研究人员的重点。提出了针对可提供肥胖预防策略信息的发展敏感型研究的建议。
