ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Physical health and the complex role of PTSD symptoms in obesity: evidence from an Italian cohort of maltreated children and adolescents.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Childhood maltreatment represents a significant risk factor for both mental and physical health problems, yet the interplay betyween post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and obesity in pediatric populations remains underexplored. This study examined the distribution of selected physical health problems in a large cohort of maltreated children. Moreover, it investigated the potential mediating role of psychopathological symptoms in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study including 307 children and adolescents (aged 3-18 years) with documented histories of maltreatment. Data were collected from a file review of children and adolescents referred for a clinical evaluation at the Neuropsychiatry Unit of a pediatric Hospital. Results: Overweight/obesity was the most frequent condition (35.2%), followed by respiratory infections (9.8%), gastrointestinal symptoms (6.8%), and headaches (5.5%). Age emerged as a significant predictor of BMI, with older children showing a higher likelihood of overweight or obesity. Mediation analysis confirmed a partial indirect effect of PTSD symptoms on BMI through internalizing problems, alongside a direct negative effect on BMI, indicating the coexistence of opposing pathways linking maltreatment to weight outcomes. However, after controlling for age, PTSD symptoms only remained significantly associated with internalizing problems. Conclusions: These findings highlight the heterogeneity of children's responses to adversity, with some exhibiting weight loss, while others develop internalizing symptomatology associated with weight gain. Therefore, the assessment of internalizing symptoms when evaluating obesity risk in maltreated children and adolescents may be crucial. Integrating mental and physical health interventions is essential for preventing long-term adverse outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.