Journal article
Investigating the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health in midlife
Journal of traumatic stress, Vol.35(2), pp.409-423
04/01/2022
DOI: 10.1002/jts.22752
PMCID: PMC9035028
PMID: 34800058
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that childhood trauma is associated with poorer cardiovascular health in adulthood, but few studies have examined potential mediators of these associations. We examined the links between different forms of childhood trauma (i.e., abuse, neglect, cumulative trauma) and cardiovascular health and explored potential mediators. Cross-sectional data from 1,251 participants in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States' II Biomarker Project were analyzed. Path analyses were conducted to examine the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health (i.e., American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 [LS7] score). Depressive symptoms and sleep quality were explored as potential mediators, and exploratory analyses examined whether these associations were moderated by sex. Women reported more severe childhood emotional and sexual abuse and emotional neglect, p p = .018, and higher LS7 scores, p = .027, than men. Path analyses demonstrated the total effects of increasing severity of all forms of childhood trauma with LS7 scores were significant, and cumulative childhood trauma was inversely associated with LS7 score Bs = -0.306- -0.076, p p = .048. The range of total effects of different forms of childhood trauma on LS7 scores mediated by depressive symptoms and sleep quality was 26.8%-57.5%. Sex moderated the associations between all forms of childhood trauma and cardiovascular health. Longitudinal studies are needed that examine mediators of the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health. Findings suggest sex-specific, trauma-informed approaches for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults exposed to childhood trauma may be needed.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Investigating the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health in midlife
- Creators
- Billy A. Caceres - Columbia UniversityLaura E. Britton - Columbia UniversityYamnia Cortes - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNour Makarem - Columbia University Irving Medical CenterShakira F. Suglia - Emory University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of traumatic stress, Vol.35(2), pp.409-423
- DOI
- 10.1002/jts.22752
- PMID
- 34800058
- PMCID
- PMC9035028
- NLM abbreviation
- J Trauma Stress
- ISSN
- 0894-9867
- eISSN
- 1573-6598
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- T32NR007969; T32NR014205 / National Institute of Nursing Research; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) K01HL146965; K99HL148511; R00HL148511; R25HL10544 / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Heart Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI) P01AG020166 / National Institute onAging; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) K23MD014767 / National Institute onMinorityHealth and Health Disparities; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities (NIMHD)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2022
- Academic Unit
- Nursing
- Record Identifier
- 9984446553502771
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