Abstract
Low resting heart rate (RHR) is a consistent biological correlate of antisocial behaviour (ASB), however potential mechanisms have been largely unexplored. We hypothesise that lower RHR will be associated with higher ASB levels in mid-adolescence and persistence into adulthood, and that these associations will be explained, in part, by sensation seeking and callous-unemotional traits. ASB was assessed repeatedly with young people from ages 15 to 21 years in a population-based birth cohort (ALSPAC). A longitudinal trajectory was derived and showed ASB decreasing across adolescence before stabilising in early adulthood. RHR was recorded at age 12 years, and mediators were assessed at age 14 years. After adjusting for socio-demographic confounders, there was evidence for a total effect of RHR on ASB levels in mid-adolescence [b(95% CI) = -0.08 (-0.14 to -0.02)], reflecting 0.08 more types of antisocial activity in the last year per 10 fewer heart beats per minute. This effect was almost entirely explained through sensation seeking [b(95% CI) = -0.06 (-0.08 to -0.04)]. After additionally adjusting for child and parent-related confounders, all effects weakened; however, there was still evidence of an indirect effect of RHR, via sensation seeking, on ASB levels in mid-adolescence [b(95% CI) = -0.01 (-0.03 to -0.003)]. There was no evidence for a total effect of RHR on ASB levels in early adulthood, and weak evidence of an indirect effect, via sensation seeking [b(95% CI) = -0.01 (-0.01 to -0.00)]. Lower RHR in childhood was associated with higher ASB levels in mid-adolescence, indirectly via sensation seeking.
Highlights
The age-crime curve consistently shows that antisocial behaviour (ASB) peaks in midadolescence and declines throughout late adolescence and early adulthood (Moffitt, 1993; Farrington, 1995)
Descriptive statistics for resting heart rate (RHR), ASB, and potential confounders are shown in online Supplementary Table S2, for males and females
Estimated and observed means for the ASB trajectory are shown in Fig. 2 with means, variances, and correlations between growth factors given in online Supplementary Table S3
Summary
The age-crime curve consistently shows that antisocial behaviour (ASB) peaks in midadolescence and declines throughout late adolescence and early adulthood (Moffitt, 1993; Farrington, 1995). Increasing evidence is emerging from longitudinal studies suggesting that lower RHR is associated with crime levels in adulthood, after adjusting for a wide range of physical, socioeconomic and psychiatric confounders (Jennings et al 2013; Latvala et al 2015; Murray et al 2016) It is currently unknown whether heart rate impacts on the course of ASB across adolescence and early adulthood, with the few studies that have examined the relationship between RHR and within-individual changes in ASB showing inconsistent results (Moffitt & Caspi, 2001; Loeber et al 2007; Baker et al 2009). Lower RHR in childhood was associated with higher ASB levels in mid-adolescence, indirectly via sensation seeking
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