Family size and cardiovascular disease incidence: a population-level association study
Creators: name: You, Wenpeng
name: Sevastidis, Jacob
name: Henneberg, Maciej
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health

description: To investigate the population-level association between family size and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, focusing on broad patterns rather than causal mechanisms or individual-level effects. Population level correlations of family size to CVD incidence were analyzed with scatter plots, simple regression, partial correlation and multivariate regression separately. Aging, economic affluence, obesity and urbanization were incorporated in models as potential confounders. Globally, family size negatively correlated to CVD incidence rate. This relationship remained in partial correlation analyses when controlling for confounders. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that family size may be the most significant predictor of CVD incidence. Large family size is significantly associated with lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, potentially due to biological, psychological, and social factors. However, as the data are cross-sectional, this relationship should be interpreted as correlational rather than causal. The association appears more pronounced in developing countries, where contextual factors may amplify its effects. This study looked at how family size may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide. The researchers analyzed data to see if having more family members is linked to a lower risk of CVD. They also considered other factors that could affect this link, such as aging, income, obesity, and living in urban areas. The results showed that people in larger families tend to have a lower risk of developing CVD. This connection remained strong even after taking other factors into account. The study found that family size was the most important factor related to CVD risk. The researchers suggest that larger families may protect against CVD by providing emotional support, reducing stress, and creating stronger social connections. For example, family members often encourage healthy habits, such as eating well and staying active. This protective effect was found to be greater in developing countries, where family ties often play a stronger role in daily life. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of family dynamics in maintaining heart health and reducing the risk of CVD. This study explores the population-level association between family size and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence across countries worldwide.A significant negative correlation was found between family size and CVD incidence, suggesting that larger families are associated with lower CVD risk.The inverse relationship remained strong after adjusting for confounding variables, including aging, economic affluence, obesity, and urbanization.Stepwise multiple regression identified family size as the most significant predictor of CVD incidence among the variables studied.The protective effect of larger families was more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries and developing regions.Potential mechanisms include enhanced psychological well-being, greater social support, and increased opportunities for health-promoting behaviors in larger families.These findings highlight the importance of considering family dynamics in public health planning and CVD prevention strategies.Further longitudinal research is needed to explore causal pathways and validate these associations at the individual level. This study explores the population-level association between family size and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence across countries worldwide. A significant negative correlation was found between family size and CVD incidence, suggesting that larger families are associated with lower CVD risk. The inverse relationship remained strong after adjusting for confounding variables, including aging, economic affluence, obesity, and urbanization. Stepwise multiple regression identified family size as the most significant predictor of CVD incidence among the variables studied. The protective effect of larger families was more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries and developing regions. Potential mechanisms include enhanced psychological well-being, greater social support, and increased opportunities for health-promoting behaviors in larger families. These findings highlight the importance of considering family dynamics in public health planning and CVD prevention strategies. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore causal pathways and validate these associations at the individual level.