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

Parenting style is associated with offspring health, but whether it is associated with offspring mortality at older ages remains unknown.

We examined whether childhood experiences of suboptimal parenting style are associated with increased risk of death at older ages.

Longitudinal cohort study of 1964 community-dwelling adults aged 65–79 years.

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 gender. 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.

Experiences of suboptimal parenting in childhood are associated with increased risk of death at older ages.