Childhood heart problems, adulthood emotional stability, and sex associated with self-report heart conditions in adulthood. (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheng, Helen; Montgomery, Scott; Green, Andy; Furnham, Adrian
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 26:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 489
• Page End: 499
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: adulthood personality traits -- childhood cognitive ability -- childhood heart problems -- heart conditions in adulthood -- longitudinal -- United Kingdom; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105318820107
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

The present study investigated biomedical, social, and psychological factors associated with self-reported heart conditions in adulthood in a British cohort. In total, 5697 (50.7% males) participants with data on parental socioeconomic status, childhood cognitive ability, childhood heart problems, educational qualifications, current occupational levels, adulthood personality traits, and the prevalence of self-reported heart conditions in adulthood were included in the study. The prevalence of self-reported heart conditions measured at age 54 years was the outcome variable. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed that childhood heart problems identified by physicians (OR = 3.47:1.74–6.92, p < 0.001) and trait emotional stability (OR = 0.83:0.75–0.93, p < 0.001) were the significant and independent predictors of self-reported heart conditions in adulthood. There were also significant sex effects on the prevalence of the outcome variable (OR = 0.53:0.42–0.63, p < 0.001). Both a biomedical and a psychological factor were significantly associated with self-reported heart conditions in adulthood.