Pathways linking childhood and intergenerational trauma at the US-Mexico border with cardiovascular health. - 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 translational research aimed at prevention and intervention strategies for potentially modifiable risk factors in CVH and will provide the applicant with necessary training to further pursue community-engaged, independent research focused on reducing health disparities and improving health through practical, data-driven solutions.
