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Childhood migration and cardiovascular risk
Mary Schooling1, Gabriel M Leung, Edward D Janus
1Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|November 30, 2004
Summary
Childhood environmental changes, like migration, significantly impact adult cardiovascular health and diabetes risk. These life-course pathways, particularly during early development, are crucial for understanding disease aetiology in rapidly developing populations.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Life Course Research
Background:
- Childhood living conditions are hypothesized to influence adult cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.
- Investigating the impact of environmental changes during formative years on long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the association between migration-related environmental changes during different life stages and the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood.
- To identify critical developmental periods for susceptibility to diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and ischaemic heart disease.
Main Methods:
- Logistic regression analysis of a population-based sample of 3643 Chinese men and 3778 Chinese women.
- Examined disease risk in individuals who migrated from mainland China to Hong Kong at various life stages.
- Adjusted for socio-economic status, risk behaviours, and family history.
Main Results:
- Migration in the first two decades of life was associated with increased diabetes risk (ORs ranging from 1.72 to 2.02).
- Hypertension risk was linked to environmental changes during puberty (migration at ages 8-17, OR = 1.56).
- Ischaemic heart disease risk showed a sex-specific association with early childhood migration for men (ages 0-7, OR = 3.17).
Conclusions:
- Environmental shifts during the first twenty years of life can influence the development of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
- Specific life-course pathways, influenced by migration, may predispose individuals to these chronic conditions.
- Findings are relevant to understanding disease aetiology in populations experiencing rapid development.