Association of childhood adversities and home atmosphere with functioning in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study
Association of childhood adversities and home atmosphere with functioning in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study
Objective
childhood adversities have been linked with adverse health outcomes, but less is known about the long-term consequences of childhood home atmosphere. We investigated whether childhood adversities and home atmosphere were associated with physical and mental functioning in older age.
Methods
in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 2003, participants born in the year 1934–44 had data available on nine childhood home atmosphere items, e.g. whether it was supportive and warm (sum score ranged between 0 and 36, higher score indicating better atmosphere), and nine childhood adversities, e.g. unemployment and divorce (sum score 0–9, coded into no; one; and two or more adversities) assessed in 2001–04. Of those, 835 had data on physical and mental functioning assessed using the Short Form 36 questionnaire in 2011–13.
Results
those who had experienced two or more childhood adversities were more likely to have poorer physical and mental functioning in older age compared to those with no adversities. A better home atmosphere score was associated with better mental functioning (per one unit higher score β 0.24, 95% CI 0.16–0.32, P < 0.001). In models including both childhood adversities and home atmosphere, a more favourable home atmosphere was associated with better mental functioning while the association for childhood adversities attenuated. There were no associations between childhood adversities or home atmosphere and physical functioning in the models that included both childhood exposures.
Conclusions
childhood adversities and home atmosphere have long-term associations with physical and mental functioning in older age.
80–86
von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B.
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Kokko, K.
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Salonen, Minna K.
afeb1f26-cc79-4b5f-a5e5-6bc490150047
von Bonsdorff, M.E.
5be0cc59-6a01-49c5-aff4-c2ff9f769a51
Poranen-Clark, T.
40f8b975-b494-48ee-a5b6-2287e9818286
Alastalo, H.
4a664e82-55e2-426a-94ad-a2fd66c3665f
Kajantie, Eero
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Osmond, Clive
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Eriksson, Johan G.
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd
1 January 2019
von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B.
85cb5f12-9e2e-4069-ba39-a2d1f08d5fc0
Kokko, K.
ce965aad-79ad-4e11-80ac-88605b8b8a5c
Salonen, Minna K.
afeb1f26-cc79-4b5f-a5e5-6bc490150047
von Bonsdorff, M.E.
5be0cc59-6a01-49c5-aff4-c2ff9f769a51
Poranen-Clark, T.
40f8b975-b494-48ee-a5b6-2287e9818286
Alastalo, H.
4a664e82-55e2-426a-94ad-a2fd66c3665f
Kajantie, Eero
c1db7428-b2c0-46f9-92c3-bcd8cdd452fd
Osmond, Clive
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Eriksson, Johan G.
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd
von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B., Kokko, K., Salonen, Minna K., von Bonsdorff, M.E., Poranen-Clark, T., Alastalo, H., Kajantie, Eero, Osmond, Clive and Eriksson, Johan G.
(2019)
Association of childhood adversities and home atmosphere with functioning in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study.
Age and Ageing, 48 (1), .
(doi:10.1093/ageing/afy153).
Abstract
Objective
childhood adversities have been linked with adverse health outcomes, but less is known about the long-term consequences of childhood home atmosphere. We investigated whether childhood adversities and home atmosphere were associated with physical and mental functioning in older age.
Methods
in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 2003, participants born in the year 1934–44 had data available on nine childhood home atmosphere items, e.g. whether it was supportive and warm (sum score ranged between 0 and 36, higher score indicating better atmosphere), and nine childhood adversities, e.g. unemployment and divorce (sum score 0–9, coded into no; one; and two or more adversities) assessed in 2001–04. Of those, 835 had data on physical and mental functioning assessed using the Short Form 36 questionnaire in 2011–13.
Results
those who had experienced two or more childhood adversities were more likely to have poorer physical and mental functioning in older age compared to those with no adversities. A better home atmosphere score was associated with better mental functioning (per one unit higher score β 0.24, 95% CI 0.16–0.32, P < 0.001). In models including both childhood adversities and home atmosphere, a more favourable home atmosphere was associated with better mental functioning while the association for childhood adversities attenuated. There were no associations between childhood adversities or home atmosphere and physical functioning in the models that included both childhood exposures.
Conclusions
childhood adversities and home atmosphere have long-term associations with physical and mental functioning in older age.
Text
childhood functioning age ageing 2018
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 12 September 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 September 2018
Published date: 1 January 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 425029
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/425029
ISSN: 0002-0729
PURE UUID: e85b840d-d14e-4b3c-b6b4-9cb8525b0985
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 09 Oct 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:09
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Contributors
Author:
Mikaela B. von Bonsdorff
Author:
K. Kokko
Author:
Minna K. Salonen
Author:
M.E. von Bonsdorff
Author:
T. Poranen-Clark
Author:
H. Alastalo
Author:
Eero Kajantie
Author:
Johan G. Eriksson
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