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

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Parentingstyle 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 parentingstyle are associated with increased risk of death at older ages.

METHOD:

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

RESULTS:

The association between parentingstyle and mortality was inverse and graded. Participants in the poorest parentingstyle score quartile had increased risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.72, 95% CI 1.20-2.48) compared with those in the optimal parentingstyle 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). Parentingstyle 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.