Early risk factors related to social functioning in young adults born very preterm

IF 2.1 3区医学 Q2 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Early human development Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-25 DOI:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106475

Sarah C.H. Thompson , Rheanna M. Mainzer , Leona Pascoe , Thi-Nhu-Ngoc Nguyen , Lauren Pigdon , Jeanie Cheong , Terrie E. Inder , Lex W. Doyle , Karli Treyvaud , Peter J. Anderson

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Individuals born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestation) are at a greater risk of poorer social outcomes than individuals born at term. However, it remains unclear which subgroups of individuals born VPT are at greater risk of lower social functioning later in life. This study aimed to describe the medical, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and environmental risks in childhood for lower social functioning in early adulthood among young adults born VPT.

Methods

Participants were assessed on social functioning domains at age 20 years (N = 123) and risk factors were assessed at birth (N = 224), 2 (N = 219) and 7 (N = 197) years of age in the Victorian Infant Brain Study longitudinal cohort. Differences in mean scores of social functioning outcomes and proportions with lower social functioning at 20 years between risk groups were estimated using generalized linear models. Multiple imputation was used to address missing data.

Results

In childhood, greater behavioral and emotional problems, lower cognition, and higher sociodemographic risk were strongly associated with lower social functioning in all domains at age 20. Medical risk was weakly associated with social interaction and social adjustment at age 20.

Conclusions

Children born VPT with higher cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and sociodemographic risk have increased likelihood of lower social functioning in early adulthood than those without risk, and could benefit from receiving earlier support to scaffold the development of social skills.

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早期风险因素与早产儿社会功能相关。

背景：非常早产个体（VPT）；方法：在维多利亚婴儿脑研究纵向队列中，对参与者在20岁（N = 123）时进行社会功能域评估，并在出生（N = 224）、2 （N = 219）和7 （N = 197）时评估危险因素。使用广义线性模型估计风险组在20岁时社会功能结果的平均得分和较低社会功能比例的差异。采用多重插值解决缺失数据。结果：儿童时期，较大的行为和情绪问题、较低的认知能力和较高的社会人口风险与20岁时各领域较低的社会功能密切相关。20岁时，医疗风险与社会互动和社会适应的相关性较弱。结论：出生时具有较高认知、行为、情感和社会人口风险的VPT儿童在成年早期社会功能低下的可能性比没有风险的儿童高，并且可以从早期支持中获益，以促进社会技能的发展。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Early human development 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

4.00%

发文量

100

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Established as an authoritative, highly cited voice on early human development, Early Human Development provides a unique opportunity for researchers and clinicians to bridge the communication gap between disciplines. Creating a forum for the productive exchange of ideas concerning early human growth and development, the journal publishes original research and clinical papers with particular emphasis on the continuum between fetal life and the perinatal period; aspects of postnatal growth influenced by early events; and the safeguarding of the quality of human survival. The first comprehensive and interdisciplinary journal in this area of growing importance, Early Human Development offers pertinent contributions to the following subject areas: Fetology; perinatology; pediatrics; growth and development; obstetrics; reproduction and fertility; epidemiology; behavioural sciences; nutrition and metabolism; teratology; neurology; brain biology; developmental psychology and screening.