# Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans

> **NIH NIH RF1** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $824,948

## Abstract

Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans
Project Summary/Abstract
 Recent epidemiologic research provides compelling evidence that negative events and experiences early
in life hasten the onset and progression of numerous adult chronic diseases. Despite the growing evidence,
the precise mechanisms for these relationships remain a subject of continuing debate. The purpose of this
project, therefore, is to explicate mechanisms and pathways to reduce harmful health consequences of
negative childhood exposures.
 We investigate the early origins of adult health conditions of urgent national need (cardiovascular disease
and cognitive decline) as well as the propensity to grow older free of physical and cognitive impairment, which
we refer to as exceptional longevity. We seek to identify resources that empower diverse groups of Americans
to optimize their health and longevity, even after facing considerable misfortune early in life. We hypothesize
that chronic inflammation is a critical pathway by which life course stressors exact a toll on health but that
social, psychological, and community resources over the life course reduce health risks.
 Although most of the extant research on the topic examines White adults, the present study investigates
whether the mechanisms vary for Black, White, and Hispanic Americans. Resources such as social support
and health lifestyles vary across racial and ethnic communities, suggesting the value of investigating distinct
mechanisms for amelioration.
 We use eight waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), organized in two studies, to test
hypotheses. Study 1 examines data from 19,630 adults (age 51+) in 2004 who are re-interviewed biennially,
providing 14 years of observation. Study 2 uses information from 10,325 adults (age 51+) in 2010,
incorporating rich data from the Life History Surveys launched in 2015. There are three specific aims:
1. To identify mediators of the relationship between childhood exposures and risk of cardiovascular diseases
 among Black, White, and Hispanic adults.
2. To examine the relationship between childhood exposures and cognitive decline—an early indicator of risk
 for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD)—among Black, White, and Hispanic adults as
 well as the potential mediators of the relationship.
3. To explicate relationships between childhood exposures and exceptional longevity and identify resources
 that enable Black, White, and Hispanic adults to be free of both physical and cognitive impairment in
 later life.
 The hypotheses, derived from the above aims, will be tested with a variety of multivariate analytic
techniques to estimate direct and indirect effects of childhood exposures on the outcomes, with formal tests of
mediation and moderation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9885355
- **Project number:** 2RF1AG043544-04A1
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** KENNETH F. FERRARO
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $824,948
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2014-05-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9885355

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9885355, Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans (2RF1AG043544-04A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9885355. Licensed CC0.

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