A Longitudinal Investigation of the Buffering Effects of Resilience on Body Mass Index in Trauma-Exposed College Students

Purpose: College students are at an increased risk for trauma exposure (TE), as well as weight gain and subsequent obesity. Notably, existing research has demonstrated that TE is associated with subsequent obesity. However, there is a dearth of literature looking at this relationship in college students who are at increased risk. Given this increased risk, there is a need to identify protective factors in the wake of TE that may buffer against the adverse impacts of TE on physical health outcomes. As such, the aim of the present studywas to examine the relationship between college-onset TE on subsequent body mass index (BMI), and to examine psychological resilience as a buffer in this relationship. Method: Trauma-exposed college students (N = 2,281, M-age = 18.5, 61.6% female, 50.3% identifying as racial/ethnic minorities) completed measures of TE, weight, height, and resilience. Individuals completed measures at baseline and at spring follow-up time points each year after. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and both new-onset TE and BMI were assessed at Y2, Y3, and Y4. Results: There was no significant main effect of new-onset TE on BMI, nor an interaction between resilience and newonset TE. There was a main effect of resilience on later BMI, whereby those with higher levels of reported resilience reported higher BMI in subsequent years (Y2: B=.36, p<.05; Y3: B=.37, p<.01). Conclusions: The positive association between resilience and BMI is not consistent with our hypotheses. Findings suggest that resilience does not buffer against physical health outcomes.