Introduction

In extending work on early life antecedents of parenting, we investigate associations between childhood family history of disadvantage, adolescent socioemotional wellbeing, and age at first parenthood and subsequent parenting behaviour.

Methods

Parent-child interactions were recorded when participants in the longitudinal Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (New Zealand) had a three-year-old child. Data were available for 358 mothers and 321 fathers, aged between 17.7 and 41.5 at the time of their child's birth. Associations between parenting and antecedent data on socioeconomic disadvantage, adolescent wellbeing and mental health, as well as current adult mental health and age at parenting, were tested for using structural equation modelling.

Results

Family disadvantage in childhood and lower adolescent wellbeing was associated with less positive future parenting, but only adult (not adolescent) anxiety/depression symptoms were directly associated with parenting behaviour. Childhood family disadvantage was associated with further disadvantage across the life course that included less positive parenting of the next generation. In contrast, socioemotional wellbeing during adolescence and later age of onset of parenting were associated with more positive parenting.

Conclusions

Reducing childhood disadvantage and improving socioemotional wellbeing during childhood and adolescence is likely to have intergenerational benefits through better parenting of the next generation.

中文翻译：

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童年劣势和青少年社会情绪健康作为未来养育行为的预测因素

介绍

在扩展育儿早期生活前因的工作中，我们调查了童年不利家族史、青少年社会情绪健康、初为人父母的年龄和随后的育儿行为之间的关联。

方法

当纵向但尼丁多学科健康与发展研究（新西兰）的参与者有一个三岁的孩子时，记录了亲子互动。可获得 358 位母亲和 321 位父亲的数据，他们在孩子出生时年龄在 17.7 至 41.5 岁之间。使用结构方程模型测试了养育子女与社会经济劣势、青少年福祉和心理健康以及当前成人心理健康和养育年龄方面的先行数据之间的关联。

结果

童年时期的家庭不利和青少年幸福感较低与未来育儿的积极性较差有关，但只有成人（而非青少年）焦虑/抑郁症状与育儿行为直接相关。童年的家庭劣势与整个生命历程中的进一步劣势相关，包括对下一代的养育不那么积极。相比之下，青春期和较晚开始养育子女的社会情绪健康与更积极的养育方式有关。

结论

通过更好地养育下一代，减少童年时期的劣势并改善童年和青春期的社会情感福祉可能会带来代际利益。