Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of JAMA Cardiology, 8(10), 927. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2023.2672 Dr. Elizabeth L. Tung et al.
Points
- Parental incarceration during childhood is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in adulthood.
- This population-based cohort study included data from over 9,600 participants representing 16 million US adults. The majority were White, and approximately half were women.
- Individuals with childhood exposure to parental incarceration had lower educational attainment and higher rates of public insurance compared to those without exposure.
- No significant associations were found between childhood parental incarceration and other cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or heart disease, as well as serum lipid levels.
- The findings suggest possible transgenerational health consequences of mass incarceration, emphasizing the need for further research and interventions to address the long-term health risks faced by individuals with a history of parental incarceration, particularly among racially minoritized populations.
Summary
This population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the association between parental incarceration during childhood and incident cardiovascular risk in adulthood. The study utilized data from waves IV (2008-2009) and V (2016-2018) of the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, including 9629 participants representing 16,077,108 US adults. Approximately half of the participants were women (5498 [weighted 50.3%]), and the majority (5895 [weighted 71.4%]) were White.
In wave V, individuals with childhood exposure to parental incarceration had lower educational attainment, with 91 (weighted 8.2%) completing less than high school compared to 245 (weighted 4.2%) in the non-exposed group. They also had higher rates of public insurance, with 257 (weighted 20.6%) having public insurance compared to 806 (weighted 11.0%) in the non-exposed group. Furthermore, those exposed to parental incarceration were disproportionately Black, with 374 (weighted 22.5%) being Black compared to 1488 (weighted 13.6%) in the non-exposed group.
The mean participant age was 37.8 years (95% CI, 37.5 to 38.0 years) in wave V compared with 28.9 years (95% CI, 28.6 to 29.1 years) in wave IV. The study found that parental incarceration was associated with 33% higher adjusted odds (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.68) of developing hypertension and 60% higher adjusted odds (95% CI, 1.03 to 2.48) of developing elevated hsCRP. However, no significant associations were observed between childhood parental incarceration and other cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or heart disease, as well as serum lipid levels.
These findings suggest that individuals exposed to parental incarceration during childhood may face long-term health consequences, particularly in terms of an increased incidence of hypertension and high-risk hsCRP. The study highlights the need for further research and interventions to address the health disparities associated with parental incarceration, especially among racially minoritized individuals who are disproportionately affected.
Link to the article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2809090
References Tung, E. L., Wroblewski, K. E., Makelarski, J. A., Glasser, N. J., & Lindau, S. T. (2023). Childhood Parental Incarceration and Adult-Onset Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk. JAMA Cardiology, 8(10), 927. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2023.2672
