Citation

Kapur G, Stenson AF, Chiodo LM, Delaney-Black V, Hannigan JH, Janisse J, Ratner HH. J. Pediatr. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.05.039

PMID

35660017

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This prospective longitudinal study tested the impact of childhood adversity, including community violence exposure, on hypertension risk in Black American young adults to understand what risk factors (e.g., prenatal factors and/or later exposures) and ages of adversity exposure increased hypertension risk. STUDY DESIGN: The study included 396 Black American participants with data from prenatal, birth, and age 7-, 14-, and 19-year visits. At age 19, individuals with blood pressure (BP) measures >120 mmHg systolic and or >80 mmHg diastolic were classified as high blood pressure (HBP) and those with <120/80 as normal. Relations between prenatal and birth risk factors, childhood adversity at ages 7, 14 and 19 years, age 19 body mass index (BMI), and both systolic and diastolic BP at age 19 were tested using logistic regression models.

RESULTS: Age 19 BMI was positively associated with systolic and diastolic HBP status at age 19. Controlling for all covariates, community violence exposure at ages 7 and 19 was associated with 2.2- (95% Confidence interval (CI)[1.242, 3.859]) and 2.0- (95% CI[1.052, 3.664]) fold greater odds of systolic HBP at 19, respectively. Prenatal risk, birth risk, and other dimensions of childhood adversity were not associated with HBP in this cohort.

CONCLUSION: Childhood community violence exposure is a significant risk factor for HBP in young adults. As Black American children typically experience more community violence exposure than other American children, our results suggest that racial disparities in childhood community violence exposure may contribute to racial disparities in adult hypertension burden.

Language: en