Investigating the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health in midlife

We examined the links between different forms of childhood trauma (i.e., abuse, neglect, cumulative trauma) and cardiovascular health and explored potential mediators. Cross-sectional data from 1,251 participants in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States ’ II Biomarker Project were analyzed. Path analyses were conducted to examine the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health (i.e., American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 [LS7] score). Depressive symptoms and sleep quality were explored as potential mediators, and explor atory analyses examined whether these associations were moderated by sex. Women reported more severe childhood emotional and sexual abuse and emotional neglect,p  <  .001 top  =  .018, and higher LS7 scores,p = .027, than men. Path analyses demonstrated the total effects of increasing severity of all forms of childhood trauma with LS7 scores were significant, and cumulative childhood trauma was inversely associated with LS7 scoreBs  = -0.306– -0.076,p <  .001–p  =  .048. The range of total effects of different forms of childhood trauma on LS7 scores mediated by depressive symptoms and sleep quality was 26.8%–57.5%. Sex moderated the associations between all forms of childhood trauma and cardiovascular health. Longitudinal studies are needed that examine me diators of the associations between childhood trauma and cardiovascular health. Findings suggest sex-specific, trauma-informed a...
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research