{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T00:10:57Z","timestamp":1789603857830,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]],"date-time":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1701302400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000049","name":"National Institute on Aging","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P01 AG020166, U19AG051426"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P01 AG020166, U19AG051426"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000049","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although a growing literature describes the effects of negative childhood experiences on biological outcomes, it is difficult to compare results across studies because of differences in measures of childhood experiences, biological markers, sample characteristics, and included covariates. To ensure comparability across its analyses, this study used a single national survey of adults in the United States\u2014the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study\u2014to examine comprehensively the association between adverse childhood experiences, operationalized as childhood maltreatment (CM), and biological markers of risk for poor health and to assess whether these associations differ by type of maltreatment, sex, or race. The sample included 1254, mostly White (78%), adults aged 34\u201386 years (mean age 57 years), 57% of whom were female. We present incidence rate ratios (IRR) from negative binomial and Poisson regressions to examine the relationships between exposure to CM (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect; and a CM-index reflecting frequency across all five types of maltreatment) and four biological risk summary scores (overall physiological dysregulation, cardiometabolic risk, inflammation, and hypothalamic pituitary axis\/sympathetic nervous system (HPA\/SNS) function). We also tested whether the effect of each type of CM varied by sex and by race. The CM-index was associated with higher overall physiological dysregulation and inflammation, but the associations were weaker and not statistically significant for cardiometabolic risk and HPA\/SNS function. With the exception of a possible sex difference in the association between sexual abuse and overall physiological dysregulation, there was little evidence that the associations varied systematically by type of CM or by sex or race. We conclude that exposure to CM predicts adult biological risk, particularly inflammation. Inconsistency with previous research suggests that additional research is needed to confirm findings regarding sex and race differences.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0294667","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]],"date-time":"2023-11-30T19:09:35Z","timestamp":1701371375000},"page":"e0294667","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Exposure to childhood maltreatment predicts adult physiological dysregulation, particularly inflammation"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5735-414X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jennifer C.","family":"Cornman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jacob","family":"Witt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dana A.","family":"Glei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maxine","family":"Weinstein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0294667.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"489","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03391613","article-title":"Implications of lifecourse epidemiology for research on determinants of adult disease.","volume":"32","author":"S Liu","year":"2010","journal-title":"Public Health Rev"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1002\/jts.22752","article-title":"Investigating the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health in midlife","volume":"35","author":"BA Caceres","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Trauma Stress"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/S0749-3797(98)00017-8","article-title":"Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.","volume":"14","author":"VJ Felitti","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"920","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2016.1786","article-title":"Association of reports of childhood abuse and all-cause mortality rates in women","volume":"73","author":"E Chen","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA Psych"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1093\/ntr\/ntr126","article-title":"2012). Childhood physical abuse and respiratory disease in the community: The role of mental health and cigarette smoking","volume":"14","author":"RD Goodwin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nicotine Tob Res"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-017-0895-4","article-title":"Biological embedding of childhood adversity: from physiological mechanisms to clinical implications.","volume":"15","author":"AE Berens","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.1999.tb08103.x","article-title":"Protective and damaging effects of mediators of stress. Elaborating and testing the concepts of allostasis and allostatic load","volume":"896","author":"BS McEwen","year":"1999","journal-title":"Ann N Y Acad Sci"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"790","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2018.10.016","article-title":"A critical assessment of the adverse childhood experiences study at 20 years.","volume":"56","author":"CA McEwen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2018.08.097","article-title":"Biomarkers of adverse childhood experiences: A scoping review.","volume":"269","author":"S Deighton","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psych Res."},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref010","first-page":"1","article-title":"A Systematic review of the biological correlates and consequences of childhood maltreatment and adverse childhood experiences.","author":"EM Cooke","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trauma, Violence, Abuse."},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1097\/PSY.0000000000000147","article-title":"Early life adversity and adult biological risk profiles.","volume":"77","author":"EM Friedman","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychosom Med."},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1177\/0022146516685370","article-title":"Social disadvantage, severe child abuse, and biological profiles in adulthood.","volume":"58","author":"C Lee","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Health Soc Behav"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"694","DOI":"10.1097\/PSY.0b013e3181e9c16f","article-title":"Early life adversity and inflammation in African Americans and Whites in the Midlife in the United States Survey","volume":"72","author":"N Slopen","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychosom Med"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e15","DOI":"10.1161\/CIR.0000000000000536","article-title":"Childhood and adolescent adversity and cardiometabolic outcomes: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association","volume":"137","author":"SF Suglia","year":"2018","journal-title":"Circ"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1097\/01.NNR.0000319501.97864.d5","article-title":"Childhood sexual abuse by a family member, salivary cortisol, and homicidal behavior of female prison inmates.","volume":"57","author":"K Brewer-Smyth","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nur Res"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref016","first-page":"122","article-title":"Childhood trauma and metabolic syndrome in men and women.","volume":"105","author":"C Lee","year":"2014","journal-title":"SSM"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S234","DOI":"10.1301\/nr.2007.dec.S234-S238","article-title":"Inflammatory biomarkers, race\/ethnicity, and cardiovascular disease.","volume":"65","author":"M. Albert","year":"2007","journal-title":"Nutr Rev"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref018","first-page":"1327","article-title":"The frequencies and disparities of adverse childhood experiences in the U.S. BMC Public Health.","volume":"20","author":"Z Giano","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-25650-0_4","article-title":"Sex Differences in Aging and Associated Biomarkers. Reviews on Biomarker Studies in Aging and Anti-Aging Research","volume":"1178","author":"N Thomas","year":"2019","journal-title":"Adv Exp Med Biol"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref020","article-title":"National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS 1), 1995\u20131996.","author":"O.G. Brim","year":"2019","journal-title":"Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], Version 16"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1177\/0898264309358617","article-title":"Who participates? accounting for longitudinal retention in the MIDUS national study of health and well-being","volume":"22","author":"BT Radler","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Aging Health. 2010"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref022","article-title":"Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2), 2004\u20132006: Field Report.","author":"CD Ryff","year":"2021","journal-title":"Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor],"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1059","DOI":"10.1177\/0898264310374355","article-title":"Bioindicators in the MIDUS national study: protocol, measures, sample, and comparative context.","volume":"22","author":"GD Love","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Aging Health."},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref024","article-title":"Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2): Biomarker Project, 2004\u20132009: Scales and Composite Variables\u2014Documentation for Psychosocial Constructs and Composite Variables in Midus 2 Biomarker Project.","author":"CD Ryff","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor],"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.1089\/acm.2010.0598","article-title":"Relaxation practice and physiological regulation in a national sample of older Taiwanese.","volume":"18","author":"DA Glei","year":"2012","journal-title":"J of Alt Comp Med"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11050","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2022.111050","article-title":"Measuring allostatic load: Approaches and limitations to algorithm creation.","volume":"163","author":"JT Carbone","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Psychosom Res"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"769","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwn389","article-title":"Improving mortality prediction using biosocial surveys.","volume":"169","author":"N Goldman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am J Epi"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref028","volume-title":"Manual for the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire","author":"D Bernstein","year":"1998"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9531.271028","article-title":"Socioeconomic indexes for occupations: A review, update, and critique.","volume":"27","author":"RM Hauser","year":"1997","journal-title":"Soc Method"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100699","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmph.2020.100699","article-title":"Socioeconomic disparities in U.S. mortality: The role of smoking and alcohol\/drug abuse","volume":"12","author":"DA Glei","year":"2020","journal-title":"SSM Popul Health"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref031","article-title":"2017. Childhood trauma and minimization\/denial in people with and without a severe mental disorder.","volume":"8","author":"C Church","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psychol."},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref032","first-page":"2020","volume-title":"Stata Statistical Software: Release 15.1.","author":"StataCorp"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1002\/bes2.1214","article-title":"A remedy for the overzealous Bonferroni technique for multiple statistical tests","volume":"97","author":"Z Drezner","year":"2016","journal-title":"The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1983","DOI":"10.1109\/TVCG.2014.2346248","article-title":"UpSet: Visualization of Intersecting Sets","volume":"12","author":"A Lex","year":"2014","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1103","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.12621","article-title":"Lest we forget: Comparing retrospective and prospective assessments of adverse childhood experiences in the prediction of adult health.","volume":"57","author":"A Reuben","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Child Psychol Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1630","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0000049","article-title":"Additive contributions of childhood adversity and recent stressors to inflammation at midlife: findings from the MIDUS study","volume":"51","author":"CE Hostinar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Dev Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0294667.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"820","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2020.03.017","article-title":"Adverse childhood experiences and adult inflammation: Single adversity, cumulative risk and latent class approaches.","volume":"87","author":"RE Lacey","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brain Behav Immun."}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0294667","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]],"date-time":"2023-11-30T19:09:58Z","timestamp":1701371398000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0294667"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Inga","family":"Schali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]]},"references-count":37,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0294667","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]]}}}