How childhood abuse and foster care affect health into midlife
The Health Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment and Foster Care From Adolescence Into Mid-Life
Researchers will compare long-term health in people who experienced childhood maltreatment or foster care to learn how these early experiences shape health from adolescence into midlife.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291338 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses a long-running national study that followed people from their teenage years into adulthood to look at health outcomes like high blood pressure, obesity, heart health, substance use, and depression. The team will separate the effects of abuse or neglect from the effects of being placed in foster care and will look at how the amount of maltreatment matters. They will also account for factors like genetics, personal behaviors, and social environments to better understand why some people are more affected than others. The researchers will examine differences by race and socioeconomic status to see how these childhood experiences may contribute to health disparities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with histories of childhood abuse, neglect, or foster care—especially those now in adolescence through midlife—are the groups this research focuses on.
Not a fit: People without a history of childhood maltreatment or foster care or whose health issues are unrelated to early-life experiences are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify which childhood experiences lead to long-term health problems and help shape policies and services to reduce lifelong harm.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked childhood maltreatment and foster care to worse health in adolescence or early adulthood, but few have followed people into midlife or separated the effects of maltreatment versus foster care.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wildeman, Christopher — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Wildeman, Christopher
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.