Childhood hyperactivity as a predictor of carotid artery intima media thickness over a period of 21 years: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether childhood temperament was able to predict carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) and/or its risk factors in adulthood 21 years later.


METHODS
The subjects were the three youngest age cohorts of the population-based sample of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study, i.e., those who were aged 3 to 9 years (n = 708) at the baseline. IMT was assessed by ultrasound, and temperament in terms of negative emotionality, hyperactivity, and sociability (following Buss and Plomin). In addition, the levels of traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis were measured in both childhood and adulthood.


RESULTS
Childhood temperament was found to predict adulthood risk factors such as smoking in both genders and body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and educational level in women. In women, childhood hyperactivity predicted adulthood IMT after adjustment for childhood and adulthood risk factors for atherosclerosis.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that temperament may contribute to the development of IMT in two ways: indirectly through risk factors in both genders and in women directly through a mechanism that is not considered in the present study. There were no significant gender-related differences in temperament, but it seemed to play different roles in different genders. Hyperactivity was a greater risk for girls than for boys.
Keltikangas-Järvinen
Liisa
L
Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. liisa.keltikangas-jarvinen@helsinki.fi
Pulkki-Råback
Laura
L
Puttonen
Sampsa
S
Viikari
Jorma
J
Raitakari
Olli T
OT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013694:Temperament / Q000145:classification; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*