Weapon victimization and long-term cardiovascular disease risk

Abstract

Adolescent exposure to weapon-related violence is linked to adverse mental health outcomes, yet its long-term physical health impacts remain understudied. Using four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examined the direct and indirect associations between adolescent weapon victimization and overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adulthood. Weapon victimization was associated with a 55.7 % increase in 10-year CVD risk (direct) and a 10.6 % increase in 30-year risk (indirect), with mental distress, smoking, and allostatic load accounting for 76 % of the total indirect effect. Given that firearm injury and CVD are the leading causes of death among adolescents and adults in the U.S., respectively, these findings reflect the potential value of integrating violence prevention into broader public health and chronic disease strategies.