Midlife and Aging Parents of Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Impacts of Lifelong Parenting

Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Floyd, Frank J.; Song, Jieun; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk

doi:10.1352/1944-7558-116.6.479

Cited by 157 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Although few studies have examined obesity in these young caring parents our results extend the most recent research on obesity levels in parents of children with developmental disabilities (George et al, 2011;Seltzer et al, 2011), first, by using objective measures of obesity i.e. anthropometric measures taken by trained researchers in comparison to self-report measures of height and weight.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Further, one study looking at the residential status (living at home vs. living away from home) of the person with intellectual disabilities, found that mothers of co-residing adult children with disabilities had significantly higher BMI than fathers, whereas the opposite was true of those whose children resided away from home; fathers had a higher BMI (Seltzer, Floyd, Song, Greenberg, & Hong, 2011). While this was self-report BMI and confined to parents in midlife, it seems that there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that these parents are at increased risk of being overweight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Child problem behaviours are associated with obesity in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities

Gallagher

Hannigan

2015

Research in Developmental Disabilities

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Epidemiological evidence suggests that obesity and depression are highly co-morbid. In a national cohort study, we examined whether parents caring for children with disabilities were more likely to be classified as obese compared to parents of children without disabilities and if obesity was associated with depressive symptoms or child behaviour characteristics. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland National Longitudinal Study of Children (2006 to date), 627 parents of children with developmental disabilities were compared with 7,941 parents of typically developing children on objectively measured levels of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 ), depression, health behaviors, chronic health conditions, socio-demographic and child behavioural characteristics. Parents of children with disabilities were more likely to be classified as obese compared to control parents (24.5% vs. 19.6%, p=0.005, Cramer's V < 0.1). Depression was not associated with obesity. However, the odds of obesity increased with increasing child problem behaviour (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.06). Over half (57%) of obese parents caring for children with disabilities reported trying to lose weight often or very often. This study has confirmed, in a population-based sample, the high risk of obesity in parents caring for children with disabilities after adjusting for the presence of depression and other health behaviours; increasing child problem behaviours were predictive of obesity.Importantly, given the negative health correlates of obesity, it is imperative that health professionals pay attention to weight issues in these parents and support their efforts in managing these issues.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child problem behaviours are associated with obesity in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities

Gallagher

Hannigan

2015

Research in Developmental Disabilities

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“…For example, there is evidence that some parents of children with disabilities don't start exhibiting higher levels of mental and physical health strains until they reach later life. 9 Evidence also suggests that the negative mental health effects associated with raising children are greater for mothers than for fathers. [8][9][10][11] …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Implications of Unintended Pregnancies for Mental Health in Later Life

et al. 2016

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Despite decades of research on unintended pregnancies, we know little about the health implications for the women who experience them. Moreover, no study has examined the implications for women whose pregnancies occurred before Roe v. Wade was decided-nor whether the mental health consequences of these unintended pregnancies continue into later life. Using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a 60-year ongoing survey, we examined associations between unwanted and mistimed pregnancies and mental health in later life, controlling for factors such as early life socioeconomic conditions, adolescent IQ, and personality. We found that in this cohort of mostly married and White women, who completed their pregnancies before the legalization of abortion, unwanted pregnancies were strongly associated with poorer mental health outcomes in later life. (Am J Public Health. 2016;106:421-429. doi: 10.2105106:421-429. doi: 10. /AJPH.2015 B ecause of its prevalence, potential consequences, and political salience, unintended pregnancy has been a source of significant research and policy concern for decades. Current estimates indicate that half (51%) of all US pregnancies are unintended, 1 and North America is the only region of the world in which rates have not declined in the past decade.2 Strikingly, however, although a robust literature documents the well-being repercussions for women who terminate pregnancies, as well as the consequences for the well-being of children who result from unplanned pregnancies, we know relatively little about the ramifications for the wellbeing of women who continue unplanned pregnancies to term. Having a child and raising that child are key events in the life course. What are the long-term mental health implications for mothers who bear children resulting from unplanned pregnancies? Furthermore, do these implications differ according to whether the pregnancy was simply mistimed or unwanted altogether?We addressed 2 key limitations of the research. First, the few previous investigations of pregnancy intention and mental health have focused on births that occurred after Roe v. Wade (1973). Because 40% of unintended pregnancies are terminated, 1 women who carried these children to term after Roe v. Wade are different-and potentially different in ways that confound the relationship between unintended pregnancies and mental health outcomes.Second, the studies have focused on the link between unintended pregnancies and mothers' mental health outcomes only when the children that resulted from these pregnancies were relatively young. We don't know if this influence on mental health is sustained into midlife. A large body of life course research shows how early life course experiences, such as poverty and family conflict, have independent and long-ranging effects on mental health in mid and later life.3-7 More generally, we do know that children influence parental outcomes long after they become adults. 8 Consequently, having and raising a child of an unwanted pregnancy may result in similar long-lasting e...

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“…Mindfulness interventions are especially relevant to parents of adults with ASD/DD because of the chronic stress they have experienced (Seltzer et al 2011;Dillenburger and McKeer 2011), and because of the unique stressors they face as their children transition into adulthood. One of the biggest issues for this population of adults and families is service availability, with the risk of losing the structure and support of the school system (Neece et al 2009) and the need to obtain adult services from a new sector.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Effects of Mindfulness and Support and Information Group Interventions for Parents of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities

Lunsky

Hastings

Weiss

et al. 2017

J Autism Dev Disord

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Midlife and Aging Parents of Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Impacts of Lifelong Parenting

Cited by 157 publications

References 44 publications

Child problem behaviours are associated with obesity in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities

Child problem behaviours are associated with obesity in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities

The Implications of Unintended Pregnancies for Mental Health in Later Life

Comparative Effects of Mindfulness and Support and Information Group Interventions for Parents of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities

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