Likeability, acceptance in childhood may affect circulatory disease risk in adulthood
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Children with low peer status and marginalization at school may have increased risk for circulatory diseases in adulthood, researchers found.
“The findings of the study might help to understand (in a rather retrospective way) why some people have a higher risk to develop circulatory diseases than others do,” Alexander Miething, PhD, researcher in the public health department at Stockholm University, told Healio. “Probably more important is the role of early intervention when children are in trouble. Although problematic experiences with peers do not automatically lead to health problems, children benefit from having caring and supportive parents (representing a strong protective factor). No child should ever have to feel afraid, rejected or neglected in school.”
Peer status in Swedish participants
In a prospective cohort study published in BMJ Open, researchers analyzed data from participants who were born in 1953 and lived in the greater metropolitan area of Stockholm in 1963. This sample included 5,410 men and 5,990 women.
“The data material used in the study is quite unique and utilizes a relatively long time span between the exposure (peer status) and outcome (circulatory disease),” Miething said in an interview.
At a mean age of 12.9 years, participants were asked who they liked to work with best at school to assess peer status.
“Peer status is a specific form of popularity,” Miething told Healio. “Many would perhaps think of high-status kids as those who were highly visible and influential — hanging out in the smoking area during breaks and partying during the weekends. That is another type of popularity, which is sometimes referred to as perceived popularity. Peer status is rather an indicator of liability, and the degree to which a child is accepted and respected by their peers.”
Information obtained from this survey was linked to inpatient care registries to assess for the occurrence of circulatory diseases from age 20 to 63 years. The first event was taken into account if multiple occurrences took place during this period.
Peer marginalization at age 13 years conferred elevated risk for circulatory disease in adulthood for men (HR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.09-1.64) and women (HR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04-1.7).
There was a graded relationship between peer status and circulatory diseases for women (P = .023). Researchers observed a threshold effect in men, as those with the lowest status position had a significantly increased risk for circulatory disease.
The link between peer status and circulatory disease remained significant after adjusting for conditions in both childhood and adulthood.
Additional research
“Future studies should examine the whole chain of events,” Miething said in an interview. “For example, it is possible that experienced marginalization in childhood decreases the ability to establish and keep social relationships in adulthood, which poses a health risk too. Further research should also address the role of health behaviors in adulthood. Our data lacked information on smoking in adulthood, which as well might be an important intervening factor in the relationship between peer status and circulatory disease.”
For more information:
Alexander Miething, PhD, can be reached at alexander.miething@su.se.
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