Parenting style in childhood and mortality risk at older ages: a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Background Parenting style is associated with offspring health, but whether it is associated with offspring mortality at older ages remains unknown. Aims We examined whether childhood experiences of suboptimal parenting style are associated with increased risk of death at older ages. Method Longitudinal cohort study of 1,964 community-dwelling adults aged 65 to 79 years. Results The association between parenting style and mortality was inverse and graded. Participants in the poorest parenting style score quartile had increased risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) 1.72; 95% CI, 1.20-2.48) compared with those in the optimal parenting style score quartile after adjustment for age and sex. Full adjustment for covariates partially explained this association (HR 1.49; 95% CI, 1.02-2.18). Parenting style was inversely associated with cancer and other mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality. Maternal and paternal parenting styles were individually associated with mortality. Conclusions Experiences of suboptimal parenting in childhood are associated with increased risk of death at older ages.

Childhood experiences of parenting and cancer risk at older ages: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

“…Research on the association between childhood experiences of parenting and cancer development in late adulthood is very limited. A study of 913 US middle-aged male physicians found that poor-quality father–son relationship, but not mother–son relationship, was associated with an increased risk of incident cancer (Shaffer et al 1982 ), while a recent study found a negative dose–response association between parenting quality and cancer mortality risk in people aged 65–79 years (Demakakos et al 2016b ). Evidence also suggests an association between childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and an increased risk of cancer in early and mid-adulthood (Brown et al 2010 , 2013 ; Norman et al 2012 ; Morton et al 2012 ; Kelly-Irving et al 2013a ; Hyland et al 2013 ).…”

“…The use of retrospectively collected data on parenting experiences and childhood SEP makes our study susceptible to measurement bias. Nevertheless, these data are known to have good predictive validity and be inversely associated with morbidity and mortality in ELSA (Demakakos et al 2012 , 2016a , b ). Attrition and non-response may have biased to some extent our results (see eTable 5) and likely make our findings a conservative account of the true association between parenting experiences and cancer.…”

“…We measured age, childhood and adult SEP, participant marital and parenthood statuses, elevated depressive symptoms, positive affect, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, physical activity, memory, social support and number of problems with social relationships. The rationale for choosing these covariates and a more detailed description of them can be found elsewhere (Demakakos et al 2016b ).…”

“…The literature has mostly focused on financial hardship and parental socio-economic position (SEP) and cancer mortality (Galobardes et al 2008 ), with some additional research on the association between adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect, and cancer development in adulthood (Brown et al 2010 , 2013 ; Norman et al 2012 ; Kelly-Irving et al 2013a ; Hyland et al 2013 ). Parenting and parent–child relationships, despite their pivotal role in childhood, have rarely been studied with regard to the risk of developing and dying from cancer in adulthood (Shaffer et al 1982 ; Demakakos et al 2016b ). To our knowledge, no study has examined the association between childhood experiences of poor-quality parenting and cancer development at older ages, where most cancer cases occur.…”

Transforming Life: A Broad View of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Concept from an Ecological Justice Perspective

“…Closer examination of parenting styles [410,411,412] in the urban grey space context, positive psychology interventions (also mindfulness, empathy, and relaxation response training) [413,414,415,416,417,418], and encouragement of time spent in natural environments via large-scale nature engagement campaigns [419,420] are worthy of study. We also need to learn more concerning emerging microbial applications in early life (e.g., through nature contact, controlled seeding of microbes and via environmental design) [421,422,423].…”