Introduction
The generational relevance for determining disease risk for the leading causes of
morbidity and mortality for U.S. adults is a source of debate.
Methods
Data on 12,300 adults (Add Health Study Members) participating in Wave V (2016–2018)
of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (also known as Add
Health) were merged with data from respondents’ parents (n=2,013) participating in the Add Health Parent Study (2015–2017). Analyses beginning
in January 2020 examined the concordance in lifetime occurrence of chronic conditions
across 4 generations, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia,
obesity, cancer, and depression and examined the associations between individual disease
history and ones’ family health history for the same condition.
Results
Mean ages were 37.4 years for Add Health Study Members and 62.9 years for Add Health
Parent Study mothers. The histories of mothers from the Add Health Parent Study on
hyperlipidemia (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.04, 2.48), obesity (AOR=1.77, 95% CI=1.27, 2.48),
and depression (AOR=1.87, 95% CI=1.19, 2.95) were significantly associated with increased
odds of Add Health Study Member report of these conditions. Maternal great grandparent
hyperlipidemia history was significantly associated with the Add Health Study Member
hyperlipidemia (AOR=2.81, 95% CI=1.51, 5.21). Histories of diabetes in maternal grandfather
(AOR=2.41, 95% CI=1.24, 4.69) and maternal great grandparent (AOR=3.05, 95% CI=1.45,
6.43) were significantly associated with Add Health Study Member diabetes. Each additional
point in the Add Health Parent Study mothers’ cardiometabolic risk factor index was
associated with an 11% increase (incidence rate ratio=1.11, 95% CI=1.04, 1.19) in
the expected count of cardiometabolic risk conditions for the Add Health Study Members.
Conclusions
Multigenerational health histories have value for quantifying the probability of diabetes,
obesity, depression, and hyperlipidemia in early mid-adulthood. Family health history
knowledge is relevant for health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 03, 2021
Identification
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© 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
