# Pathways linking childhood and intergenerational trauma at the US-Mexico border with cardiovascular health.

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2024 · $48,974

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly associated with cardiometabolic and mental health
outcomes in adulthood. Mechanisms of this relationship are thought to be varied, including both behavioral and
physiological pathways. Similarly, intergenerational trauma (IT), has also been linked to adverse cardiovascular
health (CVH) and mental health outcomes through both behavioral and physiological pathways. Both ACEs and
IT are prevalent in Hispanic populations, factors associated with IT (e.g., colonization, militarization, victimization)
are especially prevalent at the US-Mexico border, and Hispanic populations are disproportionately impacted by
other social determinants of health such as psychosocial stress and socioeconomic disadvantage and may be
at higher risk for poor CVH outcomes. However, prevalence of ACEs/IT, factors associated with IT, and
mechanisms linking ACEs/IT to CVH at the US-Mexico border remains understudied. Understanding these
relationships would address a critical gap in the literature and potentially elucidate intervention strategies towards
eventually reducing or eliminating CVH disparities at the US-Mexico border. The proposed study will investigate
the role of ACEs/IT in relation to CVH and risk factors in a unique, understudied population using comprehensive,
validated approaches. It is hypothesized that presence of ACEs and/or IT is associated with worse CVH, and
that the relationship is impacted by social, behavioral, and physiologic risk factors. The study aims to determine
the relationship between ACEs/IT and CVH components (Research Aim 1), establish the relationship between
ACEs/IT and risk factors (acculturation, psychosocial stress, socioeconomics, and/or neurocognitive factors)
(Research Aim 2), and evaluate the role of proposed risk factors in the relationship between ACEs/IT and CVH
among Hispanic adults of Mexican descent living at the US-Mexico border. The proposed study will examine
n=50 Hispanic adults of Mexican descent living at the US-Mexico border who are recruited for the sponsor’s
Sleep and Cardiometabolic Health Disparities at the US/Mexico Border: The Nogales Cardiometabolic Health
and Sleep (NoCHeS) study. The study will use validated questionnaires to measure ACEs and IT. CVH will be
assessed utilizing the newly released Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) metric by the American Heart Association (AHA).
All metric components will be measured using standard, objective, and self-report measures in a clinic visit and
at home. Additionally, potential behavioral and physiologic mechanisms will be explored, including acculturation,
psychosocial stress (stress and social support), socioeconomics, and neurocognitive factors (processing speed,
executive function, working memory, inhibitory control). Findings will increase understanding of the relationship
between ACEs, IT, CVH and risk factors in this population. Finally, this study will serve as a foundation for future
translationa...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10901104
- **Project number:** 1F31MD018943-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth Rasmussen
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $48,974
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-21 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10901104

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10901104, Pathways linking childhood and intergenerational trauma at the US-Mexico border with cardiovascular health. (1F31MD018943-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10901104. Licensed CC0.

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