Childhood adversity and multisystem cumulative biological risk in Canada: do psychosocial and neighborhood resources protect health against childhood adversities?

Childhood toxic stress increases the risk of diseases and death decades later. Despite evidence that childhood stress is associated with increased problems of regulation across multiple systems in the body, few studies have examined the cumulative physiological toll of childhood stress on health in later life through a multisystem perspective. Further, research shows that individual and neighbourhood level protective resources can guard against stress in impacting health. However, no Canadian studies have explicitly examined whether psychosocial factors and neighbourhood factors buffer/guard against childhood stressors in the risk for diseases in mid-to-late life. This study will examine the long-term effects of childhood adversities on chronic health conditions and whether adult social support, psychological well-being, education, and neighbourhood green space buffer against childhood stressors in impacting chronic health conditions.