title: C-Reactive Protein Levels Among U.S. Adults Exposed to Parental Incarceration.
abstract: Previous studies have linked childhood adversity to low-grade inflammation via C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. This study analyzed the association between low-grade inflammation and prior biological parental incarceration. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2008) were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. Measures included high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP (<3 mg/L = reference, 3-10 mg/L = low-grade inflammation, and >10 mg/L = acute inflammation), parent incarceration occurring in the child's lifetime, and frequency and timing of incarceration with respect to child's age (0-18 years or >18 years vs. never) of incarceration. Analyses were stratified by child's gender. Final sample sizes were n = 5,396 males and n = 6,447 females for maternal incarceration and n = 4,956 males and n = 5,860 females for paternal incarceration. In models with and without potential mediators, females whose fathers were ever incarcerated were more likely to have hs-CRP levels of 3-10 mg/L than females whose fathers were never incarcerated (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.09, 1.91]). Additionally, daughter's age (<18 years; AOR: 1.48, 95% CI: [1.11, 1.97]) and frequency of father's incarceration were significant (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: [1.04, 1.49]). No mediating effects were observed. Males whose fathers were incarcerated when they were ≥18 years were less likely to have hs-CRP levels of 3-10 mg/L than those whose father was never incarcerated; the association was nonsignificant in the mediated model. Further investigation is needed on the physiological effects of exposure to parental incarceration and interventions to support children.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA boch.10@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Boch
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jodi L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011329:Prisoners; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; childhood adversity; inflammation; parental incarceration