Early Parental Loss and Self-Rated Health of Older Women and Men: A Population-Based, Multi-Country Study

Abstract

ObjectiveDeath of a parent in childhood can diminish both the nurturing that promotes healthy development, and household income. We consider, for the first time, whether this adverse childhood experience is associated with self-rated health decades later, among seniors and whether this lifelong effect is different for women and men.MethodsThe International Mobility in Aging (IMIAS) study is a prospective cohort with survey information and biophysical measures and markers from 2000 community-dwelling 65–74 year olds in Canada, Colombia, Brazil and Albania. We assessed the independent impact of death of a parent, early hunger, and witnessing violence, while controlling for current income sufficiency and other early adversities on self-rated health using baseline (2012) IMIAS data. Regressions grouping and then separating women and men were compared.ResultsApproximately 17% of the 1991 participants had experienced early parental loss. Overall 56% rated their health as good however parental loss predicted poorer adult health, as did early hunger but not witnessing violence. Disaggregated analyses revealed that the health consequences of parental loss were significant only among men (p = 0.000 versus p = 0.210 for women) whereas early hunger predicted poor self-rated health for both (p = 0.000).ConclusionParental loss should be considered as a potent adverse childhood experience with life-long consequences for health. The gender difference in its effect, speaks to unidentified and modifiable traits that appear to be more common among women and that may build resilience to long-term harms of early parental death.

Adverse childhood experiences: Prevalence and related factors in adolescents of a Brazilian birth cohort

“…Parental death (10.1%) also had a higher prevalence than in other studies conducted in developed countries, which varied from 2.6% to 7.4% ( Bethell et al, 2014 , Li et al, 2014 , Stikkelbroek et al, 2012 ). However, it was lower than in a multi-country study, which found 17% early parental death (before the age of 16) and 25% in Brazil ( Phillips & Carver, 2015 ), although it was evaluated in a poorer region of Brazil than this study. The prevalence of parental death in middle-income countries is higher than in high-income countries ( Phillips & Carver, 2015 ), and other studies also show that father's death is more common than mother's death ( Li et al, 2012 ).…”

“…However, it was lower than in a multi-country study, which found 17% early parental death (before the age of 16) and 25% in Brazil ( Phillips & Carver, 2015 ), although it was evaluated in a poorer region of Brazil than this study. The prevalence of parental death in middle-income countries is higher than in high-income countries ( Phillips & Carver, 2015 ), and other studies also show that father's death is more common than mother's death ( Li et al, 2012 ). The loss of a parent is always a difficult situation to deal with, especially if it occurs early in life.…”

A combination of genetic and biochemical analyses for the diagnosis of PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway-associated megalencephaly

“…It can also aid in confirming the results of molecular genetics analysis. Recently, Loconte et al described three patients with PIK3CA -related overgrowth syndrome, including one patient with MCAP, and demonstrated the usefulness of a combination of genetic and biochemical methods [28]. They used skin fibroblasts for biochemical investigation, partially because some of their patients showed somatic mosaicism involving only limited parts of the limbs.…”

Life-course social and economic circumstances, gender, and resilience in older adults: The longitudinal International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS)

“…Prior IMIAS analyses showed early loss of a parent to be a predictor of poorer health for men but not women ( Phillips & Carver, 2015 ). Current findings suggest that this female advantage did not arise from subsequent resilience as there was no association with, nor difference in adult resilience between men and women who experienced early parental loss.…”

“…Unanswered questions about what constitutes adversity, the nature of resilience, and social circumstances that foster bouncing back and thriving remain. For example, parental loss in childhood, although rarely included in studies of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) is emerging as a potent and sustained source of adversity ( Luecken and Roubinov, 2012 , Li et al, 2014 , Phillips and Carver, 2015 ). Because resilience is a dynamic attribute.…”