Going for the Gold in Jewish Education

By: Dave Gordon

Children of divorced parents have more than double the lifetime risk of stroke compared with those whose parents stayed married during their childhood. Researchers at the University of Toronto surveyed more than 13,000 Canadians, about 10 percent of whom had parents who divorced during their childhood. The researchers suggest that divorce is one of many factors that increase stroke risk, and it is unknown whether there is a direct causal link. The findings were presented at the Gerontological Society of America’s annual meeting in New Orleans. The researchers found that no other related variables, including socioeconomic or educational background, obesity, or diabetes history explained the link between divorced parents and stroke risk. One explanation for the finding is that adverse childhood experiences may physically alter how a person reacts to stress. Another important factor is that those in the study who were experiencing strokes were elderly, and thus experienced their parents’ divorces in the 1930s to 1950s, a different context than the one in which current and future generations are experiencing divorce.