Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, researchers explored the link between socioeconomic adversity during childhood and teenage years and cardio-metabolic disease risk in young adulthood. They also focused on how psychosocial resources—such as self-esteem, personality, and education— might contribute to this disease risk. Kandauda Wickrama, Catherine Walker O’Neal, Tae-Kyoung Lee, and Thulitha Wickrama found that those who experienced socioeconomic adversity (low parental education, receiving social service benefits) in early life had a higher cardio-metabolic disease risk as a young adult; for women, having impaired psychosocial resources increased this risk. These findings show that early interventions are needed for children experiencing socioeconomic adversity in order to reduce the risk of health problems later in life.
Authors:
- Kandauda (K.A.S.) Wickrama, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia
- Catherine Walker O’Neal , Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia
- Tae-Kyoung Lee, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia
- Thulitha Wickrama, Colombo Institute of Research and Psychology, Colombo, Sri Lanka