Child maltreatment and hypertension in young adulthood.
BACKGROUND
Maltreatment during childhood and adolescence has been associated with chronic conditions in adulthood including cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the effects of childhood maltreatment on cardiovascular risk factors prior to development of cardiovascular disease, or whether these effects are evident in young adulthood. Furthermore, few studies have examined sex differences and most studies have relied on self-reported outcome measures that are subject to misclassification.


METHODS
We examined the relationship between child maltreatment and hypertension in young adulthood in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative school-based sample of US adolescents. Participants retrospectively (mean age 29.9, n = 11384) reported on their experiences of child maltreatment prior to the 6th grade (prior to age 11) during follow-up. Child neglect, physical and sexual violence as well as a measure of social services visits to the home were examined. Blood pressure was measured during an in-home visit. Hypertension was defined as measured SBP of at least 140 mmHg or DBP of at least 90 mmHG measured in adulthood, or self-reported use of antihypertensive medications.


RESULTS
In adjusted models, women who experienced sexual abuse in early childhood had a higher prevalence of hypertension (Prevalence Ratio (PR) 1.43 95% CI 1.00, 2.05) compared to women who did not experience sexual abuse. Among men, experiencing sexual abuse was not statistically significantly associated with hypertension. Experiencing neglect, physical abuse or having visitations by social services at home during childhood was not associated with hypertension among either women or men.


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual abuse in early childhood is associated with hypertension in young women.
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA. sfs2150@cumc.columbia.edu.
Shakira F
SF
Suglia
Cari J
CJ
Clark
Renée
R
Boynton-Jarrett
Nancy R
NR
Kressin
Karestan C
KC
Koenen
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D002662:Child Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology