Recent research indicates that experiencing parental divorce during childhood is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of suffering a stroke in old age. This correlation persists even among individuals who did not suffer physical or sexual abuse as children. The study detailing these associations was published in the journal PLOS One.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Medical professionals identify various risk factors for this acute cardiovascular event. Common risks include smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Researchers are increasingly looking at events that occur early in life to understand health outcomes decades later. Adverse Childhood Experiences, often referred to as ACEs, encompass a range of distressing events. These can include abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.
Previous scientific literature has established a link between high numbers of ACEs and poor health in adulthood. However, many past inquiries grouped parental divorce with severe forms of abuse or neglect. This made it difficult to determine if divorce itself was an independent risk factor.
Researchers Mary Kate Schilke, Philip Baiden, and Esme Fuller-Thomson sought to isolate the specific impact of parental separation. Schilke is affiliated with Tyndale University in Canada. Baiden works with The University of Texas at Arlington. Fuller-Thomson is associated with the University of Toronto.
The team aimed to fill a gap in existing knowledge regarding older adults. Most strokes occur in later life, yet previous studies often focused on younger populations. The investigators also wanted to exclude the confounding effects of childhood physical and sexual abuse. By removing individuals with those trauma histories from the data, the researchers could better assess the specific association between the dissolution of a parents’ marriage and stroke risk.
The investigators utilized data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. This system is a large, telephone-based survey conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey collects information on health-related risk behaviors and chronic conditions across the United States.
The researchers focused on a specific subset of this data. They examined responses from adults aged 65 and older living in eight specific states. These states administered an optional module of questions specifically regarding adverse childhood experiences.
The final analytic sample included 13,205 older adults. To ensure the focus remained on divorce, the team excluded any respondents who reported childhood physical or sexual abuse. The survey asked participants if a doctor or health professional had ever told them they had a stroke. It also asked if their parents were separated or divorced before the respondent turned 18.
The analysis revealed that 7.3 percent of the respondents had experienced a stroke. Approximately 13.9 percent of the sample reported that their parents had divorced during their childhood. The researchers used binary logistic regression to analyze the relationship between these two factors. This statistical method allows scientists to estimate the odds of an outcome while accounting for other influencing variables.
The data indicated a distinct association. Individuals who experienced parental divorce had significantly higher odds of having a stroke compared to those from intact families. The initial calculation suggested a risk increase of 1.73 times.
The researchers then adjusted the model to account for socioeconomic status, including education and income. They also controlled for health behaviors such as smoking and physical activity. Even after these adjustments, the association remained strong.
The fully adjusted model showed that respondents with a history of parental divorce had 1.61 times higher odds of having a stroke. This represents a 61 percent increase in risk relative to their peers. This magnitude is comparable to well-known medical risk factors. For instance, the study found that diabetes increased stroke odds by 1.37 times. A diagnosis of depression increased the odds by 1.76 times.
The study examined potential differences between men and women. Previous research using older data suggested the link might only exist for men. The current analysis found that the association held true for both sexes. While men in the sample had a higher baseline risk of stroke overall, the history of parental divorce increased the risk for women as well. The interaction between sex and divorce was not statistically significant. This implies the mechanism connecting divorce to stroke operates similarly across genders in this age group.
The researchers proposed several theories to explain this biological connection. One primary hypothesis involves the “biological embedding” of stress. Parental divorce can be a source of chronic stress for children. It often involves parental conflict, household tension, and economic instability. Prolonged exposure to such stress may disrupt the body’s physiological systems.
The authors highlight the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is the body’s primary stress response system. It regulates hormones such as cortisol. Chronic activation of this system during sensitive developmental periods can lead to long-term dysregulation.
Dysregulation of the stress response system is known to contribute to cardiovascular disease. It is possible that the stress of divorce alters this biological pathway, creating a vulnerability that manifests as stroke in later years.
The study also noted the potential role of socioeconomic factors. Divorce often results in a loss of household income. Childhood poverty is a recognized social determinant of health. It is linked to higher rates of obesity and chronic stress.
Although the study controlled for current adult income, it did not have data on childhood financial status. The economic hardship following a divorce could be a contributing pathway to the observed health risks.
There are limitations to this study that affect how the findings should be interpreted. The research used a cross-sectional design. This means it captured a snapshot of data at a single point in time. Such a design identifies associations but cannot definitively prove cause and effect. It is impossible to say with certainty that the divorce caused the strokes based solely on this data.
The study relied on self-reported information. Participants had to recall events from their childhood and report their own medical diagnoses. Memory can be imperfect, and self-reporting is subject to recall bias. However, the researchers noted that self-reports of stroke diagnoses generally align well with medical records.
Another limitation involves the specific generation examined. The participants were all born before 1957. During their childhoods, divorce was far less common than it is today. It was also more socially stigmatized. The experience of parental divorce for this cohort may have involved higher levels of social isolation or shame.
This unique social context could have intensified the stress experienced by these children. It is unclear if the same strong association would be found in younger generations where divorce is more normative.
The authors suggest that future studies should use longitudinal designs. Tracking individuals over time would provide clearer evidence of causality. Researchers should also investigate the timing of the divorce. The age at which a child experiences the separation might influence the health impact. Additionally, information on the level of conflict and the involvement of the non-custodial parent would add nuance to the understanding of these risks.
The findings underscore the potential long-term health consequences of early life adversity. The study suggests that the impact of family disruption can extend well into older adulthood. It contributes to a growing body of evidence linking social history with physical health.
The study, “Parental divorce’s long shadow: Elevated stroke risk among older Americans,” was authored by Mary Kate Schilke, Philip Baiden, and Esme Fuller-Thomson.
