Early Life Exposure to Poor Nutrition and Infectious Diseases and Its Effects on the Health of Older Puerto Rican Adults

Abstract

Objectives We examined the effects of early life exposure to poor nutrition and infectious diseases on adult heart disease and diabetes using season of birth as an indicator to help disentangle the effects on health of early life exposure from effects associated with other childhood conditions. Methods Using data from 60- to 74-year-old Puerto Ricans who lived in rural areas during childhood (n = 1,457), we estimated the effects of seasonal exposure during late gestation on the probability of diabetes and heart disease, controlling for adult obesity and other childhood conditions (health, socioeconomic status, knee height). Results We found (a) strong associations between exposure and heart disease; (b) weaker associations between exposure and diabetes, although significant negative interaction effects between exposure and having a family member with diabetes suggest the possibility of either strong gene–environment or early adult–environment interactions; (c) virtually no attenuation of effects of self-reported childhood health with controls for exposure. Discussion Timing of birth may reveal conditions experienced perinatally that affect adult heart disease and diabetes. The results suggest that examination of the effects of season of birth on these chronic conditions among older Puerto Rican adults and among older adults from similar populations deserves deeper scrutiny.

Aging in Puerto Rico: A Comparison of Health Status Among Island Puerto Rican and Mainland U.S. Older Adults

“…Island-residing Puerto Ricans in the early 20th century experienced similar life circumstances and demographic forces as those in other developing Latin American countries, including overpopulation and lower levels of economic development. In addition, the population was predominantly living in rural areas where residents were more likely to be malnourished and exposed to infectious diseases (McEniry, 2014), conditions that have been linked to worse health in late life (Crimmins & Finch, 2006; McEniry & Palloni, 2010; McEniry, Palloni, Dávila, & García, 2008). …”

Age trends in prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Roma minority population of Croatia

“…Along with still growing evidences coming from the studies carried out worldwide that continually confirm the importance of classical CVD risk factors, the knowledge of the relationship between disease risk and poverty has expanded only recently (Koch, 2011;Kolarcik et al, 2009;McEniry et al, 2008;Spiroski et al, 2011).…”

Infant mortality, season of birth and the health of older Puerto Rican adults

“…In previous work (McEniry et al, 2008; McEniry & Palloni, 2010), we showed a strong association between season of birth and adult heart disease and diabetes among older Puerto Ricans who lived in the countryside during childhood, suggesting the importance of the timing of adverse early life exposures for older adult health. In this article, we use season of birth but also infant mortality rates (IMR) to further examine the strength of these effects.…”

“…However, season of birth has been shown to be a good proxy for very early life conditions in utero and early infancy that precipitates poor adult health in the developed world. Being born at the end of the harvest season has been associated with better adult health (Doblhammer, 2004; Costa, 2005; Gavrilov & Gavrilova, 2005; Moore et al, 1999; Muñoz-Tuduri & García-Moro, 2008; McEniry et al, 2008; McEniry & Palloni, 2010, Mazumder et al, 2009). These results have been attributed to the importance of the timing of nutritional insults during late gestation (Doblhammer, 2004) which provides support for interpretations such as the Barker (1998) hypothesis.…”