Emotional Support Moderates Early Life Adversity's Impact on High Molecular Weight Adiponectin in Adolescent Females.

Early life adversity (ELA) has been linked to elevated inflammatory biomarkers and low circulating anti-inflammatory adiponectin levels among adults. Since inflammation is a key contributor to cardiometabolic diseases, lower adiponectin levels may be associated with an increased risk for these conditions. Women have a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease, so identifying mitigating factors specific to this population is crucial. Social support can mitigate the stress effects on cardiometabolic health, and emotional support is a particularly important functional component of social support for women. This study examined whether emotional support moderates the relationship between ELA and adiponectin levels among adolescent females. ELA and emotional support were assessed in 217 female participants (ages 13-17 years, M = 15.3) using standardized instruments, and adiponectin levels were measured from serum samples. Adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, annual income, and adiposity, emotional support moderated the relationship between ELA and adiponectin levels. Participants with more severe ELA who reported higher levels of emotional support exhibited higher adiponectin levels compared to average or lower levels of emotional support. These findings suggest that high emotional support during adolescence is not only a social protective factor but could also provide resilience against the biochemical impacts of ELA, including cardiometabolic diseases, highlighting the benefit of incorporating emotional support strategies in interventions for such high-risk youth.