Childhood socioeconomic hardship, family conflict, and young adult hypertension: The Santiago Longitudinal Study.
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ABSTRACT: Objective
Stress derived from socioeconomic disadvantage can be damaging to mental and physical health. This study uses longitudinal data on a large prospectively studied cohort to examine how socioeconomic hardship during childhood leads to hypertension in young adulthood by its effects on family conflict, anxiety-depression, and body mass.Method
Data are from 1,039 participants of the Santiago Longitudinal Study who were studied in childhood (M age 10 years), adolescence (14-17 years), and young adulthood (21-26 years). As young adults, 26% had elevated blood pressure or hypertension.Results
Children from more economically disadvantaged families experienced higher levels of family conflict, which related to significant increases in anxiety-depression and body mass over time, both of which were directly linked to hypertension in young adulthood.Conclusions
Findings provide an understanding of how early-life adversity associated with socioeconomic hardship manifests as stress-related health problems in adulthood. Intervention efforts that target overweight/obesity and anxiety and depression that stem from childhood poverty might be useful for reducing the socioeconomic disparities in adult health.
SUBMITTER: East P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7242127 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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