title: Does childhood misfortune raise the risk of acute myocardial infarction in adulthood?
abstract: Whereas most research on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has focused on more proximal influences, such as adult health behaviors, the present study examines the early origins of AMI. Longitudinal data were drawn from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N = 3032), a nationally representative survey of men and women aged 25-74, which spans from 1995 to 2005. A series of event history analyses modeling age of first AMI investigated the direct effects of accumulated and separate domains of childhood misfortune as well as the mediating effects of adult health lifestyle and psychosocial factors. Findings reveal that accumulated childhood misfortune and child maltreatment increased AMI risk, net of several adult covariates, including family history of AMI. Smoking fully mediated the effects of both accumulated childhood misfortune and child maltreatment. These findings reveal the importance of the early origins of AMI and health behaviors as mediating factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. Electronic address: mortonp@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mustillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Ferraro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D011584:Psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Childhood adversity; Cumulative inequality theory; Heart attack; Smoking; USA