Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a research team led by Cari Jo Clark at the University of Minnesota examined both victimization and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) among young adults, aged 18-28. Then they examined cardiovascular risk factors in the same respondents when they were adults between the ages of 24-34. Risk factors included age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, BMI, and use of antihypertensive medication.
Analyses showed that about 40% of the sample had been exposed to IPV in adolescence and young adulthood; these individuals were more likely than those with no IPV exposure to have a cardiovascular disease event in later adulthood. Researchers propose that a number of mechanisms may be involved with this increased risk, including a link between IPV, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and depression. Early stress is also tied to altered functioning of the body’s stress and metabolic systems. The authors encourage health providers to increase awareness about the occurrence and risks of IPV.
View the abstract or download the complete article from Preventative Medicine
Authors:
- Cari Jo Clark, Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Program in Health Disparities Research, University of Minnesota
- Alvaro Alonso, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota
- Susan A. Everson-Rose, Department of Medicine, Program in Health Disparities Research and Center for Health Equity, University of Minnesota
- Rachael A. Spencer, Independent Gender Based Violence Specialist, Atlanta, GA
- Sonya S. Brady, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota
- Michael D. Resnick, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
- Iris W. Borowsky, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
- John E. Connett, Division of Biostatistics, Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, University of Minnesota
- Robert F. Krueger, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
- Viann N. Nguyen-Feng, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
- Steven L. Feng, Department of Internal Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Shakira F. Suglia, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University