Browsing by Subject "life course"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
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    Childhood Conditions and Multimorbidity Among Older Adults
    (Oxford University Press, 2016-09) Pavela, Gregory; Latham, Kenzie; Sociology, School of Liberal Arts
    Objectives: This research tests whether childhood conditions are associated with trajectories of chronic conditions among older adults. Methods: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2008), a series of hierarchical linear models are used to estimate number of chronic conditions at survey midpoint and the rate of increase in chronic conditions across 18 years of data. Results: Results suggest that lower childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and poor childhood health are associated with increased number of chronic conditions; however, childhood SES is no longer associated with chronic conditions after adjustment for adult SES and adult health. Poor childhood health continues to be associated with total number of chronic conditions after adjustment for adult SES and health. Rate of change in chronic conditions was not associated with childhood conditions. Results from a multinomial logistic regression model further indicated that the association between childhood conditions and adult multimorbidity increased at higher levels of multimorbidity. Discussion: This research adds to the evidence that early life conditions have a lasting influence on adult health, and that their influence may be independent of adult health and SES.
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    The "long arm" of childhood health: linking childhood disability to late midlife mental health
    (2015-01) Latham, Kenzie; Department of Sociology, School of Liberal Arts
    A growing body of research underscores the early origins of health in later life; however, relatively little is known about the relationship between childhood physical health and adult mental health. This research explores the relationship between childhood disability and depressive symptoms among a nationally representative sample of late midlife adults (N = 3,572). Using data from Waves 8-10 (2006-2010) of the Health and Retirement Study, a series of ordinary least squares regression models were created to assess the number of depressive symptoms. Childhood disability was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms; however, late midlife social and health factors accounted for differences between those with and without childhood disability. Late midlife physical health appeared to be a particularly salient mediator. Individuals who experience childhood disability may accumulate more physical impairment over the life course, thus experiencing worse mental health such as greater depressive symptoms in late midlife.