Citation
Doom, Jenalee R. & Clark, Cari J. (2016). Mediators between childhood/adolescent adversity, adolescent SES, and cardiovascular disease risk in early adulthood. 2016 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Increasingly, research targets childhood as a period of vulnerability for the development of CVD. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as poverty, maltreatment, neglect, and family violence have been associated with the development of CVD later in life. This study examines a wide range of childhood and adolescent ACEs in relation to objective measurement of 30-year CVD risk in young adulthood, as well as potential mediators between ACEs and adult CVD risk. Participants (N=11,491) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health with CVD risk factor data and valid sampling weights were included. An ACEs index assessed 12 items: dating violence, other adolescent interpersonal violence, 4 forms of child maltreatment, foster care, homelessness, and parental disability, alcoholism, incarceration, and death. The ACEs score ranged from 0 to 9. Framingham-based 30 year predicted risk of CVD was calculated from measures of BMI, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, and use of antihypertensive medication assessed at Wave 4 (mean risk = 13%, SD = 0.1). The total effect (direct plus indirect) of more ACEs on greater CVD risk was significant. There were significant pathways between ACEs and greater CVD risk through poorer health behaviors, greater financial stress, lower educational attainment, poorer maternal relationship, and failing to access needed medical care.URL
https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/events/2016%20Add%20Health%20Users%20Conference%20Abstracts_2016_06_16.pdfReference Type
Conference proceedingBook Title
2016 Add Health Users ConferenceAuthor(s)
Doom, Jenalee R.Clark, Cari J.