Biobehavioral and Social Pathways Linking Childhood Adversity and Health Across the Lifespan

Current research indicates a consistent relationship between childhood adversity and health across the lifespan. This relationship has been observed across different types of childhood adversity including socioeconomic disadvantage and childhood abuse. Furthermore, adversity during childhood imparts enduring effects on health across multiple domains including cardiovascular health, immune system health, metabolic health, and mental health. However, the biopsychosocial pathways underlying the relationship between childhood adversity and health remain relatively unclear. Recent evidence suggests there are a number of protective factors which can mitigate the risk between childhood adversity and adverse health.

While the relationship between childhood adversity and adult health is well-documented, less is known about the biobehavioral and social pathways through which adverse experiences in childhood impart these enduring negative effects. With a better understanding of these pathways, it will be possible to identify promising points of focus for interventions seeking to reduce the negative consequences of childhood adversity for later health. This effort should take a comprehensive approach and consider behavioral pathways: (e.g., Sleep, diet, physical activity); Physiological pathways: (e.g., Inflammation, blood pressure, physiological reactivity); Social pathways: (e.g., social interactions, social network sizes, social support); Neural pathways: (e.g., brain structure, function, or activity).

Cross-sectional studies welcome, prospective studies encouraged, intervention research, Human studies and animal models encouraged.