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Abstract

Background
Obesity is a growing global health concern, and those with a developmental disorder are at particular risk. Elevated levels of childhood trauma, placement breakdowns and obesity have been documented in the developmental disorder population, yet their relative associations remain unclear.

Objective
A previous study (Morris et al., 2020) highlighted a high prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and obesity in adolescents with developmental disorders residing in a secure inpatient setting. The current cross-sectional study sought to further explore the prevalence of placement breakdowns and its relationship with Body Mass Index (BMI) in this sample.

Methods
Secondary analysis was conducted on existing data for 34 adolescents, aged 10–17 years at admission, held in a secure mental health hospital developmental disorder service in the United Kingdom (UK) under the Mental Health Act.

Results
Almost half of participants had experienced a placement breakdown (47.1%), the majority of whom typically experienced multiple breakdowns (M = 3.94, SD = 2.14). Placement breakdowns significantly predicted BMI and had a predictive effect that was independent to and above that of ACEs.

Conclusions
Placement breakdowns significantly contribute to risk for obesity, above that explained by early adversity. Those who have experienced placement breakdowns have a greater risk for obesity, irrespective of their level of exposure to ACEs. A history of previous placement breakdowns may act as a red flag for obesity.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Publisher Keywords:	Body mass index, Developmental disorder, Placement breakdowns, Adverse childhood experiences, Adolescents
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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