Adverse Childhood Experience and Multisystem Cumulative Biological Risk in Middle and Late Life in Canada: The Protective Role of Psychosocial Resources

Childhood toxic stress increases the risk of morbidity and mortality decades later. Childhood toxic stressors have been linked to increased inflammatory biomarkers, adverse cardiometabolic profile, greater sympathetic nervous system activity, and accelerated cellular aging. Despite evidence that childhood stress is associated with increased dysregulations across multiple physiological systems, few studies have examined the cumulative physiological toll of childhood stress on health in later life through a multisystem perspective. Further, research shows that individual and neighborhood level protective resources can guard against stress in impacting health. However, no Canadian studies have explicitly examined whether psychosocial factors and neighborhood amenities buffer/guard against childhood stressors in impacting chronic biological risk for diseases in mid-to-late life. This study will address these gaps by studying the long-term effects of childhood adversities on chronic health conditions. Further, we will examine whether adult social support, psychological well-being, education, and neighborhood green space buffer against childhood stressors in impacting chronic health conditions. We will use a database from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. This research will provide critical information that will inform social interventions and public health programs aiming to prevent chronic diseases. Specifically, study findings will inform efforts to improve the adverse childhood experience screenings in the clinical setting and accelerate healthy aging through promoting individual and neighborhood level resilience resources.