Sex Differences in the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adulthood

• Author / Creator

  Garad, Hayat

• Childhood trauma is a chronic stressor that has been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Evidence also shows that females may have a heightened reactivity to interpersonal and chronic stress than males.

  The subjects for this study included 6881 members of Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey. The main objectives were to assess whether women who report childhood trauma are more likely than men who report childhood trauma to have CVD, and possible mediating and moderating factors in the association between childhood trauma and CVD.

  Our results suggested that the effect of childhood trauma on CVD is heightened among women when compared to men. Stressful life events in adulthood were found to heighten the impact of childhood trauma on CVD, particularly among women. Also, depression, smoking, and poor diet were found to partially mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and CVD. This has important implications for sex differences in CVD risk.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Lifecourse epidemiology
  • Allostatic Load
  • Childhood Trauma
  • Cardiovascular diseases

• Graduation date

  Fall 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3R996

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.