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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Early Life Stress and Physical and Psychosocial Functioning in Late Adulthood
PLoS ONE, Volume 8, No. 7, Article e69011, Year 2013
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Description
Background:Severe stress experienced in early life may have long-term effects on adult physiological and psychological health and well-being. We studied physical and psychosocial functioning in late adulthood in subjects separated temporarily from their parents in childhood during World War II.Methods:The 1803 participants belong to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, born 1934-44. Of them, 267 (14.8%) had been evacuated abroad in childhood during WWII and the remaining subjects served as controls. Physical and psychosocial functioning was assessed with the Short Form 36 scale (SF-36) between 2001 and 2004. A test for trends was based on linear regression. All analyses were adjusted for age at clinical examination, social class in childhood and adulthood, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, body mass index, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.Results:Physical functioning in late adulthood was lower among the separated men compared to non-separated men (b = -0.40, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -0.71 to -0.08). Those men separated in school age (>7 years) and who were separated for a duration over 2 years had the highest risk for lower physical functioning (b = -0.89, 95% CI: -1.58 to -0.20) and (b = -0.65, 95% CI: -1.25 to -0.05), respectively). Men separated for a duration over 2 years also had lower psychosocial functioning (b = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.35 to -0.06). These differences in physical and psychosocial functioning were not observed among women.Conclusion:Early life stress may increase the risk for impaired physical functioning in late adulthood among men. Timing and duration of the separation influenced the physical and psychosocial functioning in late adulthood. © 2013 Alastalo et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Alastalo, Hanna
Finland, Helsinki
Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin Laitos
Finland, Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto
Finland, Helsinki
Folkhälsan
von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B.
Finland, Jyvaskyla
University of Jyväskylä
Räikkönen, Katri
Finland, Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto
Pesonen, Anu Katriina
Finland, Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto
Osmond, Clive
United Kingdom, Southampton
Mrc Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit
Barker, David J.P.
United Kingdom, Southampton
Mrc Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit
Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
King Saud University
Heinonen, Kati
Finland, Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto
Kajantie, Eero O.
Finland, Helsinki
Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin Laitos
Finland, Helsinki
Hospital for Children and Adolescents
Eriksson, Johan Gunnar
Finland, Helsinki
Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin Laitos
Finland, Helsinki
Folkhälsan
Finland, Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto
Finland, Helsinki
Helsinki University Hospital
Finland, Vaasa
Vasa Central Sjukhus
Statistics
Citations: 52
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 9
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0069011
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Maternal And Child Health
Noncommunicable Diseases
Substance Abuse
Study Design
Cohort Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Participants Gender
Male
Female