The role of childhood unpredictability in adult health

Abstract

This research differentiated childhood unpredictability (i.e., perceptions of uncertainty or instability due to turbulent environmental changes) from other related constructs to identify its role in adult health. Study 1 (N = 441) showed that, beyond other childhood adversity variables (poverty and adverse childhood experiences or ACEs) and demographic characteristics, perceptions of unpredictability were associated with greater functional disability and worse health-related quality of life (assessed via the CDC’s HRQOL Healthy Days measure and the RAND SF-36). Study 2 (N = 564) replicated those findings in a more racially diverse sample and showed that associations with childhood unpredictability held while also controlling for the Big 5 personality traits. Findings suggest that effects of unpredictability were especially pronounced among Hispanic (in Study 1), and Black/African American and low-income participants (in Study 2). Experiencing childhood environments that are perceived to be uncertain, unstable, or uncontrollable may put children on a path toward poor health outcomes in adulthood. Findings advance theories of child adversity and health and identify childhood unpredictability as a potentially valuable target for intervention. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10865-022-00373-8.

Childhood unpredictability and sleep quality in adulthood: the mediating roles of life history strategy and perceived stress

“…A large number of previous studies have examined the association between early life environment and future overall health ( Galobardes et al, 2004 ; Adler and Stewart, 2010 ; Benham, 2010 ; Chapman et al, 2011 ; Greenfield et al, 2011 ; Schulz et al, 2012 ; Doom et al, 2017 ; Maner et al, 2022 ). In line with the life history theory, the present study explored the relationships between childhood unpredictability, adaptive efforts (life history strategies and perceived stress), and adverse health outcomes (especially sleep health).…”

“…Early life environment exerts a critical impact on health across the lifespan. Early environmental stressors, such as childhood adversity, low childhood socioeconomic status, and high childhood unpredictability, have been shown to have negative effects on overall health ( Galobardes et al, 2004 ; Adler and Stewart, 2010 ; Schulz et al, 2012 ; Doom et al, 2017 ; Maner et al, 2022 ). Individuals who have experienced greater adversity (such as emotional neglect and abuse) or have faced more physical and psychological stress in childhood are less likely to engage in health behaviors and have a higher risk of cardiovascular and other diseases in adulthood ( Doom et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Recent studies have found that childhood unpredictability, an important but often neglected part of early life environmental risk, also has a critical impact on an individual’s health throughout the lifespan ( Doom et al, 2015 ; Maner et al, 2022 ). Childhood unpredictability, which is distinct from childhood adversity and childhood socioeconomic status, represents the stochastic variability of environmental conditions, that is, uncertainty and instability in time or space due to early harshness ( Ellis et al, 2009 ) including frequent changes in ecological and familial conditions (e.g., residential changes, resource fluctuations, parental inconsistency; Mittal et al, 2015 ; Luo et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Childhood unpredictability, which is distinct from childhood adversity and childhood socioeconomic status, represents the stochastic variability of environmental conditions, that is, uncertainty and instability in time or space due to early harshness ( Ellis et al, 2009 ) including frequent changes in ecological and familial conditions (e.g., residential changes, resource fluctuations, parental inconsistency; Mittal et al, 2015 ; Luo et al, 2020 ). Maner et al (2022) found that perceiving the environment to be more uncertain, unstable, or uncontrollable in childhood is related to worse health in adulthood. Doom et al (2015) noted that early (between the ages of 0 and 5) exposure to greater unpredictability predicted more externalizing behaviors as well as greater alcohol and marijuana use at age 16.…”

Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and offspring imprinted gene DMR methylation at birth

“…Other social stressors, such as racial discrimination and financial stress during pregnancy, can exacerbate the effect of ACEs on offspring outcomes [ 9–11 ]. In terms of potential mechanisms underlying these associations, DNA methylation has been proposed as one key pathway.…”