Behavior in childhood is associated with romantic partnering patterns in adulthood

Abstract

Background: Most people will partner at some point during their lives. Yet little is known about the association between childhood behavior and patterns of long-term romantic partnering in adulthood. Methods: In this population-based cohort study, behavioral ratings were prospectively obtained from teachers when children (n = 2,960) were aged 10-12 yearsfor inattention, hyperactivity, aggression-opposition, anxiety, and prosocialityand linked to their tax return records from age 18 to 35 years (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015). We used group-based based trajectory modeling to estimate the probability of partnership (marriage/cohabitation) over time and multinomial logistic regression models to examine the association between childhood behavior and trajectory group membership. The child's sex and family socioeconomic background were adjusted for. Results: Five distinct trajectories of partnering were identified: early-partnered (n = 420, 14.4%), mid-partnered (n = 620, 21.3%), late-partnered (n = 570, 19.2%), early-partnered-separated (n = 460, 15.5%), and delayed-or-unpartnered (n = 890, 30.0%). Participants in the early-partnered-separated and delayed-or-unpartnered trajectories were more likely to have left high school without a diploma and to have lower earnings and higher welfare receipt from age 18 to 35 years. After adjustment for sex and family background, inattention and aggression-opposition were uniquely and additively associated with increased likelihood of following an early-partnered-separated trajectory, while inattention and anxiety were associated with an increased likelihood of following a delayed-or-unpartnered trajectory. Childhood prosocial behaviors were consistently associated with earlier and more sustained patterns of partnership. Conclusions: Children with behavioral problems are more likely to separate or to be unpartnered across early adulthood. This may have consequences for their psychological health and wellbeing and that of their families.

Commentary: On intimate relationships, adult roles, interplay of family adversity and individual vulnerability, intergenerational transmission, and developmental selection – commentary on Vergunst et al. (2020)

“…The study by Vergunst et al has multiple strengths: (a) the use of multi‐informant data, childhood behaviors were rated by teachers whereas partnership data at the ages 18–35 were derived from tax return records; (b) adequate controls of background characteristics (gender of child and family socio‐economic status), and (c) a big sample size allowing to assess adequately heterogeneity of partnering trajectories. The report also adds to the growing but relatively small number of studies demonstrate that childhood behaviors are predictive of adult behavior (for instance Pingault et al, 2011 ; Rivenbark et al, 2018, as cited in Vergunst et al, 2020 ; Vergunst, Tremblay, Nagin, Algan, et al, 2019 ; Vergunst, Tremblay, Nagin, Zheng, et al, 2019 ). A limitation of this type of studies is that they identify earlier markers of adult problems but are not informative on the developmental processes that carry their effects.…”

“…Taken together, these findings suggest that effects of family adversity and individual traits (inattention and aggression-opposition) on the increased likelihood of following the early-partnered-separated trajectory could disappear after inclusion of parentadolescent relationships in the study's design. Vergunst et al (2020) show that family adversity in childhood is predictive of problems in formation and maintenance of intimate relationships in the next generation. Similarly, Pingault et al showed that low parental educational and occupational level predicted lower educational attainment in the next generation, Vergunst, Tremblay, Nagin, Algan, et al (2019) that low parental educational and occupational level predicted lower income in the next generation, and Vergunst, Tremblay, Nagin, Zheng, et al (2019) that low parental income predicted more reliance on governmental financial support in the next generation.…”

“…Between childhood and adulthood: the role of adolescent development Vergunst et al (2020) use childhood data to predict adult outcomes. A limitation of this design is that it overlooks adolescent development.…”

“…In more concrete terms, vulnerabilities in the environment and individual vulnerabilities tend to get intertwined in a more systematic way in the developmental process. For instance for individuals in the delayed-or-unpartnered trajectory in the study by Vergunst et al (2020), we would observe children from families with poor relationships and a high level of anxiety to be selected into peer networks of limited size and low-quality friendships in turn leading to slim chances to find a satisfactory intimate relationship. In terms of statistical modeling, this would call for an approach that tests how the various processes, in this example poor parentadolescent relationships, poor peer relationships, (social) anxiety, and absence of intimate relationships, tend to get correlated more strongly when individuals get older.…”

“…Five developmental trajectories of partnering in the ages 18-35 were identified by Vergunst et al (2020): early-partnered (14.4 %), mid-partnered (21.3%), late-partnered (19.2%), early-partnered-separated (15.5%), and delayed-or-unpartnered (30%). Childhood behaviors at ages 10-12 years were predictive of trajectory membership.…”