A recent study published in PLOS One reveals that older adults who experienced parental divorce during childhood are at a significantly higher risk of stroke later in life.
The research, conducted by teams from the University of Toronto, Tyndale University, and the University of Texas at Arlington, highlights an unexpected connection between early-life family circumstances and long-term health outcomes.
Among Americans aged 65 and older, those whose parents divorced during their childhood were 61% more likely to report having had a stroke compared to their peers from intact families. Specifically, one in nine older adults with divorced parents reported a stroke diagnosis, compared to one in 15 whose parents did not divorce.
The researchers accounted for common stroke risk factors, such as smoking, physical inactivity, lower income and education, diabetes, depression, and low social support. Even after adjusting for these variables, the strong association between parental divorce and stroke remained, comparable in magnitude to established risk factors like diabetes and depression.
This study builds on previous research conducted nearly a decade ago by the same team, which also found a strong link between parental divorce and stroke risk. The consistent findings suggest a meaningful relationship worth further investigation.
While the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers propose several potential explanations:
- Biological Stress Response: Childhood exposure to parental divorce may lead to sustained high levels of stress hormones, which could negatively impact the developing brain and stress-response systems. These biological changes may persist into adulthood, increasing stroke vulnerability.
- Social Factors: The disruption caused by parental divorce might lead to long-term challenges in forming supportive social networks or maintaining stable health behaviors, indirectly influencing stroke risk.
Interestingly, the study found that other forms of childhood adversity—such as emotional abuse, neglect, household mental illness, and exposure to domestic violence—did not show significant associations with stroke. This emphasizes the unique role parental divorce may play in shaping long-term health outcomes.
To isolate the effects of parental divorce, the researchers excluded participants with histories of childhood physical or sexual abuse.
Even among those who grew up in relatively supportive environments with at least one adult providing a sense of safety, the higher stroke risk persisted in individuals whose parents divorced. This suggests that the divorce itself, rather than accompanying trauma, could be the critical factor.
The study analyzed data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, involving 13,205 older Americans, of whom 13.9% experienced parental divorce during childhood. The authors hope their findings will encourage further exploration of this topic, as understanding the underlying mechanisms could help inform public health strategies.
“If future research confirms similar links, healthcare providers could use information about a patient’s childhood family structure to improve targeted stroke prevention and education,” said lead author Mary Kate Schilke.
Senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson emphasized the need to explore the biological and social pathways that might connect parental divorce to stroke risk. These insights could lead to better interventions to mitigate long-term health impacts.
This study underscores the importance of examining how early-life experiences influence lifelong health. While parental divorce is not something that can be changed retrospectively, understanding its effects could pave the way for preventative strategies tailored to individuals with this background.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
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The research findings can be found in PLOS ONE.
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