Socially isolated children 20 years later: risk of cardiovascular disease.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
To test the hypothesis that children who occupy peripheral or isolated roles in their peer groups (isolated children) are at risk of poor adult health.

DESIGN:
Longitudinal study of an entire birth cohort.

SETTING:
Dunedin, New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 1037 children who were followed up from birth to age 26 years.

INTERVENTIONS:
Measurement of social isolation in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
When study members were 26 years old, we measured adult cardiovascular multifactorial risk status (overweight, elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol level, low high-density lipoprotein level, elevated glycated hemoglobin concentration, and low maximum oxygen consumption).

RESULTS:
Socially isolated children were at significant risk of poor adult health compared with nonisolated children (risk ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.61). This association was independent of other well-established childhood risk factors for poor adult health (low childhood socioeconomic status, low childhood IQ, childhood overweight), was not accounted for by health-damaging behaviors (lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse), and was not attributable to greater exposure to stressful life events. In addition, longitudinal findings showed that chronic social isolation across multiple developmental periods had a cumulative, dose-response relationship to poor adult health (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-4.56).

CONCLUSIONS:
Longitudinal findings about children followed up to adulthood suggest that social isolation has persistent and cumulative detrimental effects on adult health. The findings underscore the usefulness of a life-course approach to health research, by focusing attention on the effect of the timing of psychosocial risk factors in relation to adult health.

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Author information

Author/s: Caspi, Avshalom (A); Harrington, Honalee (H); Moffitt, Terrie E (TE); Milne, Barry J (BJ); Poulton, Richie (R);

Affiliation: Author Affiliations: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. a.caspi(-atsign-)iop.kcl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 160 (issue 8) : pp 805-11

Dates: Created 2006/08/08; Completed 2006/08/24; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16894079, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adolescent Development
Adult
Cardiovascular Diseases - psychology
Child
Child Development
Female
Health Behavior

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