Parental separation in childhood and adult inflammation: The importance of material and psychosocial pathways

Many studies have reported an association between childhood adversity and CRP levels, a reliable marker of low-grade inflammation (Pepys and Hirschfield, 2003), across the life course. Chronic inflammation is correlated with poorer health outcomes, such as depression (Danner et al., 2003 and Howren et al., 2009), type II diabetes (Bassuk et al., 2004) and coronary heart disease (Danesh et al., 2004). Therefore investigating risk factors for inflammation in adulthood, and the mechanisms through which they act, is likely to be fruitful in mitigating the effects of low grade inflammation and subsequent disease. Childhood adversities previously investigated include low socioeconomic position (e.g. Phillips et al., 2009, Chen et al., 2011 and Miller and Cole, 2012), maltreatment and abuse (Danese et al., 2007 and Danese et al., 2009), as well as broader adverse childhoo…