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Cited by 190Health disparities and outcomesChild Abuse and TraumaAdipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases

Early Life Adversity and Inflammation in African Americans and Whites in the Midlife in the United States Survey

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Slopen, Natalie, Lewis, Tené T., Gruenewald, Tara L., Mujahid, Mahasin S., Ryff, Carol D., Albert, Michelle A., Williams, David R.·2010·Psychosomatic Medicine
DOI 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181e9c16fPMC PMC2939196
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Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether early life adversity (ELA) was predictive of inflammatory markers and to determine the consistency of these associations across racial groups. Methods: We analyzed data from 177 African Americans and 822 whites aged 35 to 86 years from two preliminary subsamples of the Midlife in the United States biomarker study. ELA was measured via retrospective self-report. We used multivariate linear regression models to examine the associations between ELA and C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, fibrinogen, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, independent of age, gender, and medications. We extended race-stratified models to test three potential mechanisms for the observed associations. Results: Significant interactions between ELA and race were observed for all five biomarkers. Models stratified by race revealed that ELA predicted higher levels of log interleukin-6, fibrinogen, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 among African Americans (p < .05), but not among whites. Some, but not all, of these associations were attenuated after adjustment for health behaviors and body mass index, adult stressors, and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: ELA was predictive of high concentrations of inflammatory markers at midlife for African Americans, but not whites. This pattern may be explained by an accelerated course of age-related disease development for African Americans. BMI = body mass index; CRP = C-reactive protein; CVD = cardiovascular diseases; E-selectin = endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1; ELA = early life adversity; GCRC = general clinical research center; IL = interleukin; MIDUS = Midlife in the U.S. survey; SEP = socioeconomic position; sICAM-1 = soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

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  • A socially tumultuous early environment predicts elevated levels of IL-6 in a population-based study of young adults.

    “A socially tumultuous early environment has also been found to predict elevated levels of IL-6 in a population-based study of young adults”

    From From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory of depression. (2014) · cites this paper as Slopen et al., 2010

    The Abstract Results report that early life adversity predicted higher IL-6 among African American participants, but not White participants. The Abstract Methods identify the participants as ages 35–86, not young adults; the Sample and Discussion also limit how representative the biomarker sample is. Thus the IL-6 association is supported, but the claimed population and unqualified finding are not. (LLM, conf=0.92)

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Authors
Slopen, N., Lewis, T. T., Gruenewald, T. L., Mujahid, M. S., Ryff, C. D., Albert, M. A., & Williams, D. R.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Yale University (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of California, Berkeley (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Slopen, Natalie
ORCID
Venue
Psychosomatic Medicine
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2010-09
Volume
72
Issue
7
Pages
694-701
ISSN
0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/psy.0b013e3181e9c16f
PMC
PMC2939196
OpenAlex
W2115928816
Cited by
190
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 11
FWCI
12.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • University Libraries (University of Maryland) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (University of Maryland College Park)
Funders
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG020166)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL092591, K01HL092591)
  • National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR025011)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
Keywords
childhood adversity, inflammation, racial disparities, African Americans, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, endothelial adhesion molecules, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, midlife, socioeconomic position, depressive symptoms, body mass index, health behavior
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, C-Reactive Protein, Child, Child Abuse, Data Collection, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Social Class, United States, Biomarkers, Interleukin-6, Body Mass Index, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, E-Selectin, White People, Family Conflict

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