Children of divorced parents are at higher risk of having a stroke

The ripple effects of divorce stretch far beyond the immediate emotional upheaval. A groundbreaking study has revealed that experiencing parental divorce during childhood may significantly increase the risk of stroke later in life.

This surprising connection persists even after accounting for well-known stroke risk factors, suggesting that early-life family disruption could have more profound health implications than previously thought.

Divorce linked to higher stroke risk

The study, which analyzed survey data from over 13,000 older Americans, found that one in nine individuals aged 65 and older who had experienced parental divorce had been diagnosed with a stroke.

In contrast, only one in 15 of those whose parents remained together during their childhood reported the same health issue.

Mary Kate Schilke, a university lecturer in the Psychology Department at Tyndale University, is the study’s first author.

“Our study indicates that even after taking into account most of the known risk factors associated with stroke – including smoking, physical inactivity, lower income and education, diabetes, depression, and low social support – those whose parents had divorced still had 61% higher odds of having a stroke,” noted Schilke.

The association between parental divorce and stroke was found to be as strong as two well-known stroke risk factors: diabetes and depression.

These results align with research conducted nearly a decade ago, which also demonstrated a significant link between childhood parental divorce and increased stroke risk in adulthood.

Parental divorce and stroke connection

Although the study establishes a clear correlation between childhood parental divorce and stroke, the researchers are still working to determine the underlying causes of this connection.

Study senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, a professor at the University of Toronto, acknowledged that more research is needed to understand the mechanisms at play.

“We need to shed light on the mechanisms that may contribute to this association,” she said. “While these types of survey-based studies cannot establish causality, we are hoping that our consistent findings will inspire others to examine the topic.”

Other types of childhood adversity

To ensure the results were not influenced by other adverse childhood experiences, the researchers carefully excluded participants who had a history of physical or sexual abuse.

Even after removing these cases, the link between parental divorce and stroke remained strong.

“We found that even when people hadn’t experienced childhood physical and sexual abuse and had at least one adult who made them feel safe in their childhood home, they still were more likely to have a stroke if their parents had divorced,” noted co-author Philip Baiden, an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Surprisingly, other types of childhood adversity – such as emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to household mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence – were not significantly associated with stroke risk in this study.

Role of biological and social factors

While the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers believe that both biological and social factors may contribute to the increased risk of stroke among those who experienced parental divorce in childhood.

One possible explanation is related to chronic stress and its long-term physiological effects. Fuller-Thomson highlighted how childhood parental divorce may lead to prolonged exposure to high levels of stress hormones.

“From a biological embedding perspective, having your parents split up during childhood could lead to sustained high levels of stress hormones,” she explained. “Experiencing this as a child could have lasting influences on the developing brain and a child’s ability to respond to stress.”

The stress associated with parental divorce may also contribute to unhealthy coping mechanisms and behavioral patterns later in life.

Individuals who experienced divorce during childhood might be more prone to chronic stress, which has been linked to increased inflammation, high blood pressure, and other conditions that elevate stroke risk.

Implications for stroke prevention

The study was focused on data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The researchers examined survey responses from 13,205 older Americans, of whom 13.9% had experienced parental divorce during childhood.

If this association is confirmed, childhood family history could become an important consideration in stroke prevention and healthcare strategies. Schilke noted that these findings could eventually help medical professionals tailor stroke prevention programs.

“If future research finds similar links between parental divorce and stroke, it is possible that knowledge about whether or not their patient grew up in an intact family will be used by health professionals to improve targeted outreach for stroke prevention and education,” said Schilke.

While the study cannot definitively prove that parental divorce causes an increased risk of stroke, it raises important questions about how childhood experiences shape long-term health outcomes.

As research in this area continues, understanding the long-term health consequences of early-life stress could lead to more effective interventions and support systems for individuals at higher risk.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.

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