Childhood adversity and adult health: A dyadic analysis of Black American couples.

Abstract

Objective: The association between childhood adversity and adulthood health is well established, but few studies have examined potential effects of childhood adversity on partner health in couples. This study examined the long-term health impact of childhood adversity on individuals as well as their significant others. Method: The participants were 163 distinguishable dyads from the Family and Community Health Study. Health outcomes included both self-reported chronic illness and a messenger RNA index of accelerated aging. The actor-partner interdependence model with structural equation methods was used to test the hypothesis. Results: Replicating prior research, childhood adversity was associated with more chronic illness and an accelerated speed of aging. Further, participants’ health in adulthood was affected by both own and partner experiences of childhood adversity. There were no gender differences. Conclusion: Our findings replicate and extend prior research on the long-term impact of exposure to childhood adversity, suggesting that adverse childhood experiences are also harmful to romantic partners. Further studies are required to examine potential mechanisms.

Partner Effects of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Men’s family-of-origin aggression and men’s childhood family adversity were not significantly related to their partner’s cortisol response during in-lab interactions ( Arbel et al, 2016 ; Kazmierski et al, 2020 ; Winer et al, 2018 ). Another study showed that a person’s adverse childhood experiences was significantly related to their partner’s higher chronic illness and accelerated aging ( Zhang et al, 2022 ).…”

“…These mixed results on partner’s emotion reactivity, regulation strategies, and stress reactivity using cortisol levels suggest that moderating factors may be at play and explain for whom, for which form of CM, or in which specific context a person’s CM may be related to these outcomes in partners. Moreover, only one study recently examined the association between a person’s CM and their partner’s health reporting associations with their partner’s chronic illness and aging ( Zhang et al, 2022 ). This is an important limitation that underlines the need to conduct more dyadic studies using mixed methods including biological assessment and a diversity of health outcomes.…”

“…29. Zhang et al (2022) 163 mixed-sex couples of Black Americans (29.90) (100% for one partner, NR for the other partner)…”