Witnessing Community Violence in Youth and Susceptibility to the Common Cold in Adulthood.

OBJECTIVE The current study investigated the relationship between witnessing community violence in youth and susceptibility to the common cold in adulthood, using Common Cold Project data.

METHODS 212 adults (42% female, aged 18 to 55) recalled witnessing community violence in youth (ages 5, 10, 15) retrospectively, completed other demographic and psychosocial measures, and were then subsequently exposed to a virus that causes the common cold. After exposure, if participants displayed both infection and signs of illness, they were diagnosed with the common cold.

RESULTS Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that witnessing community violence in youth was related to greater susceptibility to the common cold in adulthood, (b(SE)=.75(.30), OR=2.11, 95% CI=1.18, 3.83, P =.012) when controlling for current socioeconomic status, early socioeconomic status, pre-challenge serostatus, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. This relationship continued to be significant when adjusting in separate models for 1) BMI and season of viral challenge, 2) current health, health behaviors, and perceived stress, and 3) early physical, social, and safety of neighborhood environments and stressful home settings.

CONCLUSIONS Witnessing community violence in youth may be an important risk factor for susceptibility to the common cold in adulthood.