Unpopular Children More Likely To Develop Heart Disease Later In Life, Study Warns
Children who are not very popular with their classmates are more likely to suffer heart and blood vessel disease in later life, research suggests. A new study found that boys who suffered low status among their peers at age 13 appeared to have a 34% higher risk of circulatory disease in adulthood compared with those who did not, while girls had a 33% higher risk.
The research, published in BMJ Open, said the links “remained significant” after controlling for factors that may influence the results, such as family set-up and socio-economic background.
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The experts behind the study, from Stockholm University in Sweden, said the exact reasons for an increased risk of disease were unclear.
But they said:
Mental disorders and disorders due to alcohol misuse in adulthood are likely influenced by adversities during childhood.
In line with earlier studies, these factors were demonstrated as determinants of circulatory diseases.
Low peer status, social isolation and marginalisation may be particularly distressing in childhood.
Socially isolated children suffer from lack of social and emotional support and also from the experience of having reduced opportunities to make friends and to control dominating behaviour by others.
Taken together, these adversities might disturb children’s social and emotional development and lead to behaviours and disadvantages that are difficult to rectify in their later life.
The team said children who are bullied or victimised are known to develop issues such as anxiety and depression, and are also more likely to take up smoking, which is bad for the heart.
“Longitudinal studies have shown that such problems persist throughout adulthood, which is reflected by lower mental and physical health,”
they said.
They concluded:
“There is convincing evidence from neuroscience regarding how social relationships modulate neuroendocrine responses that subsequently affect the circulatory system, increasing the risk for stroke and cardiovascular diseases.”
The study looked at the health of 5,410 men and 5,990 women whose peer group status was known at the age of 13, and who were tracked into their 60s as part of a long-term study.
To assess peer group status, the 13-year-olds were asked who among their classmates they preferred to work with.