Matters of the heart: Partnership and cardiovascular risk between same and opposite-sex unions in Add Health

Citation

Frech, Adrianne; Lynch, Jamie; & Barr, Peter (2015). Matters of the heart: Partnership and cardiovascular risk between same and opposite-sex unions in Add Health. Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. San Diego, CA.

Abstract

Objectives: Although social relationships are often seen as health-protective, these events are also often associated with cardiovascular risk factors, most notably increases in BMI and cholesterol, odds of hypertension, and systolic blood pressure (SBP). However, it is unclear whether romantic cohabiting unions and dating relationships are also associated with these risk factors, or whether unions and parenthood – when examined separately – differ in their risk profiles. We examine the relationships between marriage, cohabitation, dating, parenthood, and several indicators of cardiovascular risk. We consider both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships in our analyses. Results: Relative to those married to opposite-sex spouses, same-sex dating for women (systolic only) and men (glycated hemoglobin only) was associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Same-sex cohabiting women also reported lower levels of CRP relative to married women. After adjusting for other covariates, parenthood was associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure among women.

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America

Author(s)

Frech, Adrianne
Lynch, Jamie
Barr, Peter

Year Published

2015

City of Publication

San Diego, CA

Reference ID

8974