Childhood adversity and pubertal timing: Understanding the origins of adulthood cardiovascular risk

ObjectiveTo determine whether greater childhood adversity relates to younger menarcheal age; whether younger menarcheal age relates to increased CVD risk; and whether greater childhood adversity relates to increased CVD risk, directly or indirectly (mediated by menarcheal age).MethodsAmong 650 pre-menopausal women (ages 25–45; M = 34.9[5.6]), SEM was performed to estimate relations between childhood adversity, menarcheal age, and CVD risk.ResultsResults supported a covariate-adjusted model (RMSEA = 0.035; CFI = 0.983) in which greater childhood adversity was related to younger menarcheal age (β = −.13, p < .01) and younger menarcheal age was related to greater CVD risk (β = −.18, p < .05). Direct and indirect effects of childhood adversity on CVD risk were non-significant. Re-evaluation of the same model with additional covariate-adjustment for adulthood body composition showed the relation between menarcheal age and CVD risk attenuated (β = −.03, p = .376).ConclusionsCross-sectional evidence suggests family-related adversity experiences in childhood confer risk for earlier menarche which, in turn, relates to increased CVD risk in adulthood, possibly via post-pubertal body size.

► Greater childhood adversity is related to younger menarcheal age. ► Younger menarcheal age, in turn, is related to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. ► Childhood adversity is unrelated to CVD risk, either directly or indirectly (mediated by menarcheal age). ► The relation between younger menarcheal age and increased CVD risk may be attributable to post-pubertal body size.