Health consequences of childhood divorce may surface in old age – Study
Children of divorced parents may carry more than emotional scars into adulthood—new research shows they could also face a higher risk of stroke later in life. A recent study from The University of Texas at Arlington reveals that the health consequences of childhood divorce can surface decades later, affecting brain and body well into old age.
Dr. Philip Baiden, associate professor of social work at UTA, led the study published in PLOS One. He and his collaborators from Tyndale University and the University of Toronto found that older adults whose parents divorced during their childhood were significantly more likely to suffer a stroke. The research draws on data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, which included over 13,000 Americans aged 65 and older.
The study reported a clear difference: one in nine older adults who experienced parental divorce had suffered a stroke, compared to one in 15 among those whose parents remained together, indicating an increase, even after controlling for typical stroke risk factors like smoking, obesity, depression, and income level.
Baiden explained that even after accounting for lifestyle and socioeconomic variables, the link between childhood divorce and later-life stroke remained strong. He noted that the stress of a parental split may increase stress hormone levels in children, potentially causing lasting changes in brain development.
The research specifically excluded participants who had suffered physical or sexual abuse as children, aiming to isolate the impact of divorce. About 14% of the study group had experienced parental divorce. Baiden pointed out that the youngest individuals in the sample were born in 1957, a time when divorce carried significant social stigma.
He suggested that this group likely faced more intense emotional and social consequences than later generations, since divorce wasn’t normalized yet and children may have internalized the experience more deeply.
Beyond the personal toll, the societal impact is massive. Strokes are among the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the US, with nearly half proving fatal. Survivors often face major challenges, including cognitive decline, mobility issues, and the inability to live independently. Economically, strokes cost the country more than US$56 billion annually in combined direct and indirect expenses.
Baiden said the findings offer a new perspective in understanding how early life experiences shape adult health. As someone who has studied adverse childhood experiences and the social factors driving health outcomes, he believes the link between early family disruption and stroke is both concerning and revealing.
The data also revealed a surprising gender twist: men whose parents divorced were more likely to suffer a stroke than women—despite women generally having a higher stroke risk. Baiden indicated this was an area for further exploration.
He also plans to examine how childhood poverty, chronic stress, and sleep disorders intersect with early parental separation to influence stroke risk. His goal is to uncover the mechanisms that connect these early life events to long-term health outcomes.
Baiden explained that childhood events do not remain confined to childhood—they can cascade throughout a person’s life, affecting even their physical health in old age. That said, this study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the roots of adult disease often trace back to early life experiences.
Source: UTA-Edu
Category: Education
