Childhood Abuse and Health in Midlife: What Role Do Adult Offspring and Romantic Partners Play?

• In Event: Aging and the Life Course Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): 6: Family Relationships and Dynamics

Abstract

Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health Parent Study, this paper examines the association between childhood abuse and four measures of maternal health (depression, self-rated health, physical limitations, and stress-related diseases) at midlife. After replicating longstanding findings that childhood abuse is associated with worse health in adulthood, we ask what role family relationships, including those with romantic partners and those with adult offspring, play in this link? That is, to what extent do they mediate the association between childhood abuse and midlife health, serving as a key link in a chain of disadvantage? Or, to what extent might they moderate the association between childhood abuse and parental health, serving to buffer mothers from the health consequences of childhood abuse? Findings show that the quality of relationships with adult offspring play a more central role than those with romantic partners in explaining the long arm of childhood abuse on maternal health. Evidence is also provided that high-quality relationships with both offspring and romantic partners can buffer mothers from the health consequences of childhood abuse. Taking these questions together, we contribute to a more holistic understanding of the role family relationships have on the long arm of childhood and on disrupting chains of disadvantage. Findings suggest that relationships with adult offspring should be better integrated into the literature on the life course consequences of childhood adversity.

Authors

• Sophia Olsinski, University at Buffalo

• Ashley B Barr, University at Buffalo

• Christopher Richard Dennison, University at Buffalo

• Kristen Schultz Lee, University at Buffalo

• Chandler Fairbanks, University at Buffalo

• Laura Sills, University at Buffalo

• Gavin Glaser

• Elizabeth O'Boyle

• Arivana Russell

• Rachel Zhang, University of Tampa