Eric B. Loucks|Shelley E. Taylor|Joseph F. Polak|Aude Wilhelm|Preety Kalra|Karen A. Matthews
Childhood family psychosocial environment and carotid intima media thickness: The CARDIA study
Brown University|Providence College|University of California, Los Angeles|Tufts University|Brown University|Providence College|Kaiser Permanente|University of Pittsburgh
little known whether childhood family psychosocial environment characterized cold unaffectionate interactions conflict aggression neglect andor low nurturance affects coronary heart disease chd risk objectives evaluate associations childhood family psychosocial environment carotid intima media thickness imt subclinical measure atherosclerosis study population included 2659 cardia study participants aged 3752 years childhood family psychosocial environment measured using risky family questionnaire via selfreport carotid imt calculated using average 20 measurements mean common carotid bulb internal carotid imt assessed using highresolution bmode ultrasound images utilizing linear regression analyses adjusted age 1unit range 021 increase risky family score associated 00036 95 ci 0000600066 mm 00020 95 ci 0000200038 mm increase mean imt white males females respectively formal mediation analyses covariate adjustments suggested childhood socioeconomic position smoking may important mechanisms white males females well education depressive symptomatology white males associations found black participants formal statistical tests interaction risky family score sex risky family score raceethnicity demonstrated borderline evidence interactions sex p 012 raceethnicity p 014 risky family score associations mean imt conclusion childhood family psychosocial environment positively associated imt white participants little evidence association black participants mechanisms white participants may include potential negative impacts socioeconomic constraints parenting quality potentially influencing offsprings cardiovascular risk factors eg smoking socioeconomic position eg education andor psychosocial functioning eg depression may turn lead atherosclerotic processes borderline racialethnic differences findings replicated add literature exploring raceethnicityspecific associations parenting approaches health outcomes