ArticlePsychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy2018
Military sexual trauma is associated with eating disorders, while combat exposure is not.
Article in Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mental health outcomes associated with military sexual trauma in serving and ex-servicewomen: A systematic review.Psychological medicine · 2025Pooled it
- An Evidence Map of the Women Veterans' Health Literature, 2016 to 2023: A Systematic Review.JAMA network open · 2025Pooled it
- Military Sexual Trauma and Risky Behaviors: A Systematic Review.Trauma, violence & abuse · 2021Pooled it
- Women's eating disorder origins as responses to childhood trauma and negative social self: a qualitative study exploring lived experience perspectives.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Written Exposure Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training as a Novel Integrated Intervention for Women With Co-Occurring PTSD and Eating Disorders: Two Case Studies.Cognitive and behavioral practice · 2025Article
- Eating Disorders, Co-Morbid Disorders and Early Risk Factors Amongst Post-9/11 Veteran Men and Women.Journal of clinical psychology · 2025Article
- Military sexual trauma, combat trauma, and disordered eating among United States veterans: An exploration of underlying mechanisms.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2025Article
- Defining military sexual trauma: establishing parameters and perspectives.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2024Article
- Gender differences in direct and indirect associations of trauma types with disordered eating in a national U.S. veteran sample.Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · 2023Article
- Mindful self-compassion for veteran women with a history of military sexual trauma: feasibility, acceptability, potential benefits, and considerations.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2023Article
- Trauma exposure and eating disorders: Results from a United States nationally representative sample.The International journal of eating disorders · 2022Article
- Gender differences in disorders comorbid with posttraumatic stress disorder among U.S. Sailors and Marines.Journal of traumatic stress · 2022Article
- Eating disorder behaviors and treatment seeking in self-identified military personnel and veterans: Results of the National Eating Disorders Association online screening.Eating behaviors · 2021Article
- An exploratory examination of internalized weight stigma in a sample living with food insecurity.Body image · 2021Article
- Sexual trauma uniquely associated with eating disorders: A replication study.Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · 2021Article
- Eating Disorders and Overweight/Obesity in Veterans: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Treatment Considerations.Current obesity reports · 2020Review
- "Making weight" during military service is related to binge eating and eating pathology for veterans later in life.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2019Article
- Does Deployment-Related Military Sexual Assault Interact with Combat Exposure to Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Veterans?Traumatology · 2018Article
- The role of sexual assault history and PTSD in responses to food intake among women with bulimic-spectrum eating disorders.Eating disordersArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThere are strong associations among trauma and eating disorders. However, while trauma and eating disorders are more common among veterans than other populations, there is little information on how military-specific stressors affect eating disorder risk. This study's objective was to determine whether military sexual trauma and combat exposure were independent predictors of eating disorders among women veterans, a high-risk group.
methodParticipants were women age 18-70, using VA medical center services, without psychotic disorders or suicidal ideation (N = 407). We estimated a cross-sectional logistic regression model to predict eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder) as a function of military sexual trauma and combat exposure, adjusting for demographic variables.
resultsSixty-six percent of participants reported military sexual trauma, 32% reported combat exposure, and 15% met eating disorder criteria. Mean age was 49 years (SD = 13); 40% were veterans of color. Women reporting military sexual trauma had twice the odds of an eating disorder compared to women who did not (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03; 95% CI [1.03-3.98]). Combat exposure was not associated with eating disorders. Asian race (OR: 3.36; 95% CI [1.26-8.97]) and age (OR: 1.03; 95% CI [1.01-1.06]) were associated with eating disorders.
conclusionsThe high rates of military sexual trauma and eating disorders highlight a need for continued work. Results suggest that it may be useful to focus on women reporting military sexual trauma when implementing eating disorder screening and treatment programs. Given associations among trauma, eating disorders, obesity, and mortality, such efforts could greatly improve veteran health. (PsycINFO Database Record
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