Does Childhood Misfortune Increase Adult Arthritis Risk?

• In Event: 067 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 12. Life Course Perspectives on Inequalities

Abstract

Research on the early origins of health has revealed that childhood misfortune may increase risk of disease, especially life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and cancer. Relatively few studies, however, examine the early origin of disabling conditions such as arthritis, despite the fact that life stressors have been implicated as a risk factor. The purpose of this study is to systematically investigate the impact of childhood misfortune on adult-onset arthritis net of the influence of common risk factors. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we use 5 waves of data (2004-2012) from the Health and Retirement Study to estimate the association between childhood misfortune and adult arthritis. Logistic regression was used to predict arthritis prevalence in 2004 and Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict arthritis incidence from 2004-2012. Childhood misfortune was measured as a sum of indicators as well as disaggregated into three domains: health, socioeconomic, and parental behavior misfortune. Analyses revealed socioeconomic and parental behavior misfortunes increased the likelihood of arthritis prevalence and childhood health problems increased risk of arthritis over the eight-year follow-up. In addition, those with 10 or more total childhood misfortunes had lower probability of survival without arthritis over time. Surprisingly, the effect of childhood misfortune on arthritis incidence was greater for men than women. The results point to childhood misfortune as a distal risk factor of arthritis during later life.

Authors

• Blakelee Kemp, Purdue

• Kenneth F. Ferraro, Purdue University

• Patricia M. Morton, Rice University