Childhood adversity, early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders, and adult-onset asthma

Psychosom Med. 2008 Nov;70(9):1035-43. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e318187a2fb. Epub 2008 Oct 21.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate a) whether childhood adversity predicts adult-onset asthma; b) whether early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders predict adult-onset asthma; and c) whether childhood adversity and early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders predict adult-onset asthma independently of each other. Previous research has suggested, but not established, that childhood adversity may predict adult-onset asthma and, moreover, that the association between mental disorders and asthma may be a function of shared risk factors, such as childhood adversity.

Methods: Ten cross-sectional population surveys of household-residing adults (>18 years, n = 18,303) assessed mental disorders with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) as part of the World Mental Health surveys. Assessment of a range of childhood family adversities was included. Asthma was ascertained by self-report of lifetime diagnosis and age of diagnosis. Survival analyses calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for risk of adult-onset (>age 20 years) asthma as a function of number and type of childhood adversities and early-onset (<age 21 years) depressive and anxiety disorders, adjusting for current age, sex, country, education, and current smoking.

Results: Childhood adversities predicted adult-onset asthma with risk increasing with the number of adversities experienced (HRs = 1.49-1.71). Early-onset depressive and anxiety disorders also predicted adult-onset asthma (HRs = 1.67-2.11). Childhood adversities and early-onset depressive and anxiety disorders both predicted adult-onset asthma after mutual adjustment (HRs = 1.43-1.91).

Conclusions: Childhood adversities and early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders independently predict adult-onset asthma, suggesting that the mental disorder-asthma relationship is not a function of a shared background of childhood adversity.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data
  • Age of Onset
  • Americas / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / etiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Asia / epidemiology
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Asthma / etiology
  • Asthma / psychology
  • Causality
  • Child
  • Child, Orphaned / psychology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology*
  • Depressive Disorder / etiology
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Violence / psychology
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Life Change Events*
  • Male
  • Parents / psychology
  • Poverty
  • Risk Factors
  • Survivors / psychology
  • Survivors / statistics & numerical data*