Life Course SES and Cardiovascular Risk: Heterogeneity across Race/Ethnicity and by Gender

Katrina M. Walsemann, University of South Carolina
Bridget J. Goosby, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Deeonna E. Farr, University of South Carolina

We examine four life course processes as they relate to adolescent SES, adult SES, and cardiovascular risk (CVD) – sensitive periods, pathways model, accumulation model, and social mobility. We consider differences in these life course processes across race/ethnicity and by gender. We analyzed Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, restricting our sample to whites, blacks, and Latinos. Analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity. CVD risk at Wave IV combined four risk factors: waist circumference, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and C-reactive protein. All four life course processes were present for white women, but only the sensitive period was indicated for white men, Latino men, and Latina women. The sensitive period and the accumulation model were supported for black women. No life course processes were significant for black men. Our findings demonstrate the importance of nuanced examinations of structural factors for CVD risk over the life course.